Un Papillon
by aquafina rain
Summary: A flap of the wing and the bird takes flight. Lives are interconnected and uncertainties gain strength. One girl is caught in a deception. In her case, blood is cunning, but she is deadly. WKXSM
1. 00: prologue

**prologue**

Takatori Reiji was hard-headed and stubborn, and in the end he always got what he wanted. As a child growing up, his father would discipline him in ways unimaginable ; there were always threats of tying him up and leaving him in the closet hanging upside down, or having to baby-sit his freak-of-a-younger-brother Shuuichi, or repotting all the trees in his mother's gardens after chasing out the snakes that regularly infested the mole-holes. Looking back on it now, however, Takatori could see what his father had been trying to introduce into his life—the concept of making others feel like shit to try and cheer yourself up.

That could probably explain why he had just told his bodyguard to find his deceased wife's father and kill him.

He wasn't as cold-hearted as others saw him to be—five minutes after the words left his mouth, he had turned his head upwards, clasped his hands together and asked his deceased wife for her forgiveness, and that he hoped she wouldn't condemn him to the fiery pits of hell. As an afterthought, he requested for her to give Saint Peter an extra little push in leading him through the pearly gates to reunite with her.

With his conscience clear, Takatori sat back in his black leather chair, picked up the phone and barked to his secretary, "Get me my files!" It seemed, however, that his secretary was dealing with some trouble at the front desk, for as soon as Takatori had demanded for said files, he heard a livid voice through the other line:

"Is that him? Tell him he'd better have explanations or I'm going to the police! I'm going up now—"

"I won't ask you one more time! Leave the premises at once! Securi–"

Takatori Reiji was amused. "Let her in."

"—ty! Securi—let her in?" His secretary hesitated for a moment before clearing her throat uneasily. "Right away, sir."

Three minutes later, the young woman was sitting in the seat across from him, her head tilted back defiantly as she studied him with furious eyes.

Takatori had his back to her, gazing out instead at the glass wall behind his desk, hands clamped behind his desk. He could see literally everything the city offered at midnight—its bright lights, the headlights of nocturnal drivers speeding down the highways, the local bars and pubs with their flashing neon signs, the Tokyo radio tower with its blinking signal…

It felt like he could also see the blood spilling down the stone steps of the pathway, descending like a red carpet unrolling to welcome his unwelcome bodyguard.

"Why?"

"I haven't seen you for nearly four years and that is all you can say to me?"

He was playing with her and she knew it.

"Why?"

"You've grown into a beautiful young woman – like your mother."

"Why did you try to—"

"Why did you come and see me at such a late time?" Takatori glanced at her, eyebrows raised. "I would imagine that you would have wanted to stay with him at the hospital. Or do you not care about him as much as you would like everything to think?"

"How _dare_ you," she said, standing up. She stalked around his desk and grabbed his shoulder, turning him to fully face her. "How _dare_ you even—"

Takatori caught the hand that had been aiming to slap him; he twisted her wrist and dragged her close. "You raise your hand at your own blood?"

"You're no blood of mine—"

"Be quiet, child." Takatori couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction when she actually closed her mouth. There was no containing the anger in her gaze, however. "You want to renounce me? Go ahead. But think carefully—who is it that funds the shrine?"

"Don't act like you have anything to do with the shrine!"

Takatori raised his eyebrows again. "If I pull my funding, then who will support it? Especially since your grandfather is in the hospital now—the police just called. It's such a shame."

"How _dare_ you," she repeated, and this time Takatori believed every ounce of rage in her words. She wrenched her hand away from him. "How dare you pretend like you had nothing to do with it—"

"You're implying I somehow sent someone to attack my own father-in-law?"

She grabbed onto his suit jacket, pulling him close. Takatori was hardly affected, even when she suddenly shoved him far from her. He brushed off his suit, turning his eyes to Schuldig, who was watching from the corner. Schuldig didn't even bat an eyelash as he made his way towards her.

"Don't touch me," she snapped. Her eyes were still fixed on Takatori. "I will burn you."

"You can't get close enough to," Takatori responded cordially. He smiled when her hands clenched into fists; when she struck forward, Schuldig stepped in-between them and caught her fist. The bodyguard winked at her; she let out a noise of anger, trying to throw him off, but to no avail. She struggled weakly against her captor. Takatori watched all of this with nonchalance.

She was a pitiful sight, and it almost hurt him to think so.

"Get her out of here," he demanded of the bodyguard. Shrugging, Schuldig effortlessly knocked her out. He hoisted her up by her underarms, literally dragging her towards the door. "Leave her in one of the rooms. Make sure she doesn't try to go back to the shrine."

Once the door closed behind them, Takatori sat back in front of his desk, sighing.

At least his daughter was entertaining.

**x**

Kitada Hanae was not, at the moment, a happy woman.

She had been woken up at 8 in the AM by the perky ring tone of her phone, one she attached to her colleagues. Apparently the other secretary had gotten shot in the process of a reconnaissance mission gone wrong. And apparently, Kitada Hanae was the only person available to substitute in while the injured recovered.

A half hour after the call (she had spent a good twenty minutes of it yelling at the coffee maker, and the next ten minutes cursing Birman for getting shot), she floored the accelerator, cutting off a dark van as her fingers dialed subconsciously the number of her employer. The light in front turned red; in a swift moment of thought, she ignored it, causing two other cars to swerve around her. "Damn," she muttered as she checked the rearview mirror. Well, as long as they weren't hurt.

"Manx," the voice on the other side of the phone called her pseudonym, and Manx sighed.

"Hold on," she replied and slowed down, pulling the car into a parking space. She climbed out, shutting the door with her stiletto-heeled foot. "Okay, Persia."

"You're across from them."

"_Yeah_," the red-headed secretary said, mentally reminding herself not to blow up at her employer. "I'm across from them; they look fine and dandy. Can we get back to business?"

"Good," Persia said, and then he was quiet.

Manx pulled the phone from her ear, giving it a dirty glare.

"Manx," Persia said, "Don't do that."

She rolled her eyes and put the phone back to her ear. "Persia. Business."

"Yes, right. My brother has a daughter."

"We know that." Manx grit her teeth. "Ouka Sakaki. Bombay's little friend."

"No," Persia stressed, "another one."

Manx raised an eyebrow, giving the phone an incredulous look. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." A pause. "He left her to her grandfather nearly fifteen years ago – the elderly man that Balinese found last night. She's gone missing; I can't get a hold of her."

"So then you think her father has her," Manx concluded, checking her nails in the light. Huh, there was a chip in one.

"Precisely. There's nothing more that would boost his name than finding his long-lost daughter and taking her in." Persia paused again, and Manx patiently waited. "Back then. I thought she had gone under the same fate as Bombay."

"What, you mean you slept with his wife again and—"

"_Manx_," Persia cautioned, his voice lowering. She sighed.

"Sorry. It's been a bad start to the day."

"Why not get some flowers to cheer you up?" her employer suggested, and she couldn't help but tug up the corners of her lips wryly.

"Yeah," Manx said, glancing in her bag for the videotape. It sat snug against her wallet. "What kind do you suggest?"

* * *

**notes** aw i've actually had this idea for. awhile. as in. i actually don't remember but yeah. i've left the chick nameless, but i'm sure you can guess as to who it is; it's pretty obvious. and i like manx.

as for my wk knowledge... most of the things (living arrangements, aya's past, schuldig's personality) will be based on _An Assassin and White Shaman_. so youji's hair is brown. and ken's eyes are brown. and ouka is a cute little rich girl. um i like gluhen. and side b. a lot.

rei is anime-based (bc let's be honest, manga rei would never be caught in this kind of situation, ever). And for those of you confused, kitada hanae = manx's real name.

what else am i missing?

OH don't expect.. really quick updates. i'm teh suck at that.

rated for language and violence later on. and youji.

and i apologize for the weird ass summary.

thanks for reading!


	2. 01: matter of business

**chapter one: a matter of business**

Aino Minako was not used to being pushed away in a crowd full of people. She was the type of person that would rather start it. Nonetheless, she could've sworn that she broke something as elbows jabbed her aside and her rear end connected with solid cement below. Moaning and rubbing said broken 'something,' the blonde clicked her heels on the ground in irritation. She eyed the mix of high school girls (honestly, even _she_ wasn't that bad back then) and pursed her lips.

The flower shop she was trying to get into had better be worth it. After her neighbor came home one way boasting about how the handsome Kudou something-or-other had personally handcrafted her arrangement, Minako had her eyes set on the shop. There wasn't a single place in town that she didn't know about, so how did Koneko no Sumu I.e. (and their rumored gorgeous attendants) escape her grasp?

Too bad everyone else already knew about the place.

A chuckle made its way to her ears and Minako was quick to shoot to her feet, facing the offender. The first thing to greet her eyes was red. Red hair, red jacket, red skirt, red heels—gray socks. Her eyebrow rose at the other woman, but she said nothing about it, opting instead to cross her arms defiantly. "Yes?"

Reddie shook her head. There was, for a split second, something knowing in her gaze; Minako wondered if she imagined it as Reddie suddenly smiled. "Oh, nothing. Thought that maybe you should let a professional handle this."

"Excuse me?" Minako said, but Reddie ignored her, choosing instead to address the crowd.

"Pardon me, you're all in the way."

And just like that, the high school girls parted like she was Moses and they the Red Sea. Minako's jaw dropped open; she scrambled forward, making the most out of the opportunity. She raced forward after the red head, only to come face-to-face with a closed garage door.

Again, her jaw dropped. "What the heck!"

"Ayan, open up!" one of the high schoolers cried out, slapping the garage door.

"Ken-kennn!" another one piped up, and soon the rest of the crowd began pressing themselves at the door, scraping at it and whining. Minako herself was being pushed against her will, her face smushed against the garage door. She desperately tried to cling on the nearest thing she could get a hold of; the shoulders she grabbed kept jostling her around.

Frustrated, the blonde shoved the crowd away from her. She steadied herself, glared at the sign that seemed to be mocking her (we're open, it said, and yet she couldn't even make it one foot inside), and kicked the garage door.

She didn't really expect a chain reaction immediately, but a chain reaction was what she received. The sign towering above the gaggle of girls, entitling the shop as _Koneko no Sumu Ie_, wiggled. She watched, to her horror, as it slowly started to creak.

"Oh no," Minako whispered, and she barely threw her hands up over her head before the sign completely toppled over and landed right next to her feet.

There was a silence that ensued for three minutes; then one girl screamed and that catalyst brought forth chaos. Everyone started backing away, tripping over each other, trying to escape the fallen sign. Minako cringed as girls fell over one another, creating a massive dog-pile of bodies, but their safety was quickly ignored once she realized the collateral damage. Outdoor arrangements were trampled over; pots tipped over and broke on cement.

The outside of _Koneko no Sumu Ie_ was completely trashed.

"Shit!" she cursed. There was no way she was going to pay for all of that; working part-time at a diner paid barely paid for her rent.

Minako glanced wildly from side to side, trying to spot an escape path. There was nowhere to run; girls were clutching at each other desperately, wailing about their close calls with death. She tried to shove through a group of three girls, only to be dragged into their embrace.

"The shop will close!" one of them sobbed, wiping her dirty face on Minako's sleeve. Minako gagged.

"Please don't—"

"We'll never see them again!" the second girl sniffled as she wiped down Minako's sleeve. "What a shame."

Minako tried to wriggle out of their hold; it took a bit of effort, but she dug her heels into the ground and managed to fall back into freedom. She heaved a sigh, glancing up at the sky. Really, all she wanted to do was buy some flowers and check out some hot guys! What in the world did she do to deserve _this_?

Behind her, the garage door rattled open.

"Hey, what was all that—" a voice said, before cutting itself with a strangled sound.

"Omi? Omi, are you breathing? Hey man, can you hear me?"

"What _happened_?"

Minako slowly looked over her shoulder, her insides freezing at the last voice that had spoken. The crowd had dispersed at his voice; she could only imagine what kind of beastly man would invoke such fear in the heart of high school girls. What she was instead surprised her—true to the rumors, the workers were all drop dead gorgeous; if she weren't in danger of being arrested for destruction of property, she was sure she'd turn her charm up on blast.

Minako climbed to her feet, held up two fingers and smiled nervously. "Yo."

"Yo indeed," the tall man with the long brown hair said, looking her up and down over his sunglasses. The blonde beside him continued to stare hopelessly at the wreckage scattered around the sidewalk. "Is this your doing, pretty lady?"

"Well, see, about that," Minako said, wondering if her teeth were going to fall out if she smiled any larger. She only hoped she looked as innocent as she was trying to make herself out to be.

The garage door opened again, and Reddie stepped among the workers; her expression, again, seemed like she knew each and every one of Minako's darkest secrets. The two of them held each others' gazes for a moment before Reddie looked away with a smile. Before Minako could get a word in, the redhead spoke.

"What happened?" he repeated in his cold tone. Minako blinked, still smiling as if she had just won tickets to see the Three Lights play live naked.

"Oh, you know," she started to say. Then he narrowed his eyes a fraction at her and she felt Hell freeze over under her feet. Well, there went her brave streak.

"Come on, Aya, don't be like that to a customer," the tall one grinned teasingly. He waltzed over to her, grasping Minako's hand in one swift movement. "Especially a customer as beautiful as she."

Minako grabbed his other hand, holding them both in front of her. "Normally I would flirt back with you," she said earnestly as a startled look came over his face, "but I'm kind of scared your coworker can shoot lasers from his eyes."

Together, the two turned their heads expectantly towards Aya. The red-head's eye started to twitch as his lips tightened.

"Youji," he said think, and the two turned back around and shared a shiver.

"He's so scary!" Minako hissed.

"I know!" Youji moaned. "And I have to work with him! Every day!"

"_Youji_," Aya threatened again, while at the same time Reddie smiled and said, "Say, Kudou."

Minako and Youji both turned blind and deaf to Aya, averting their attention spans to the woman, deciding that she would inflict less damage to their hearts. Reddie smiled in that knowing way at Minako, who dropped Youji's hands and straightened up.

"Aino-san," Reddie said, and Minako's eyes narrowed. Just how much did Reddie know? "Why don't we discuss legal matters inside the shop?"

"Inside the shop?" Minako turned her attention to the brunette who was trying to snap the blonde out of his funk. "Er, weren't we going to—I mean..."

He trailed off, giving Minako a slight glance. Reddie didn't look bothered. "Actually, Ken, it's perfect timing that Aino-san is here."

Minako had no clue at all what was going on. Her instincts were telling her, however, that she had somehow involved herself in something dangerous. Even so, as she stood there watching Aya and Reddie engage in a staring contest, she wondered why she didn't just turn around and walk away.

Aya wordlessly broke eye contact with Reddie. He turned and stalked back inside the shop. Youji blinked. "Well, that doesn't happen every day," he remarked.

In minutes, the group found themselves settled in the basement of the flower shop. Youji, sprawled on the couch, threw an arm behind the seat and nodded his head invitingly at Minako. Before she could respond, Ken flopped down beside him, elbows on knees and hands clasped together. "Manx," he said, ignoring Youji's sudden sputtering. "What in the world is going on?"

"Slow down, Ken," Reddie—Manx—replied, turning her eyes to the suspicious Minako. "I actually have other things to speak with you about, Aino-san."

"I figured as much," Minako said, meeting Manx's eyes. "Manx, was it?"

"You may call me that," Manx replied. She seemed amused at Minako, for some reason or another. Youji glanced again at the blonde girl standing in front of Manx. Though she seemed relaxed, he could see in her stance all the ways she was tense. Her shoulders were squared back, her knees locked tight, her hands still at her side.

"Hmm," he said. Ken gave him a startled glance, but he didn't elaborate. "So, Manx, what's the reason for this pow-wow? Aya's dying to know."

Aya gave him a dirty look. Youji, quite used to it, winked.

"I'll cut to the chase," Manx said, crossing her arms. "We work for Kritiker, Aino-san."

Minako frowned, but other than that remained quiet. Interesting, Youji thought.

"I'm sure your friends at Interpol had told you about us," Manx continued. "Am I correct?"

"Maybe," Minako responded lightly. "Guess it depends on what circumstances."

"The circumstances are that these four are Weiss."

"Manx," Aya said sharply. Manx ignored him, choosing to focus completely on Minako. Smart girl, she thought, for the blonde hardly batted an eyelash.

"What, florists by day and assassins by night?" Minako actually smiled, although her insides were screaming for her to get out of the shop as fast as she could. She knew all about Weiss—at least, anything she needed to know, anyway. Katarina had mentioned them a long time before, before she moved back to London. She had warned Minako to be careful if she ever decided to go back to crime-fighting, as there was a group that would no doubt kill her if she got in their way.

"It's not as silly as it sounds," Manx said, ever charming. She glanced over at Omi, who seemed to have snapped out of his stupor. The youngest member of Weiss was giving her an inquisitive look. Manx only turned back to Minako. "Not as silly as a schoolgirl in heels fighting crime, anyway."

"What do you want?"

Manx raised her eyebrows at the hard edge in Minako's voice. "I apologize. Perhaps this is a touchy subject?"

"Please don't play with me, Manx," Minako said. "I know how dangerous you are. You should know how dangerous I am."

"Oi, oi," Youji said, and though he hadn't moved from his slouch, his posture was very still. "Let's not fight, ladies. How about the rest of us get clued in on the situation?"

"Please," Omi added quietly.

"I suppose," Manx said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a binder. She held it out to Minako, who accepted it cautiously. "Inside you will find the profiles of all the members of Weiss, current and past. Study them carefully. Get to know them."

"Excuse me," Ken said bluntly, affronted that there was a binder with_ his_ information in it. "That's kind of creepy, Manx."

"Oh? Let me even it out, then." Manx pulled out another folder, tossing it at him. He caught it deftly. "Inside you will find a complete profile of Aino-san here."

Ken opened the folder, but Youji grabbed it out of his hands. Omi peered over his shoulder and quietly read. There was a page with Minako's basic information on it—height, weight, date of birth, education and occupation. Youji turned the page, however, and was met with an image of a young girl wearing a mask.

"Sailor V?" Ken sputtered, grabbing the sheet. He stared at it before turning his gaze to Minako. "Holy shit!"

"You've got to be kidding," Youji drawled, plucking the sheet away from Ken. He handed it to Aya, who took it without a comment. Omi, however, continued to frown, paging through Minako's file.

"Manx," he said slowly. "You don't intend to...?"

"Sharp as ever, Omi." Manx smiled at Minako, who hadn't even bothered to open the binder. "Aino-san, like I said before, it's perfect timing that you came here today. I was about to debrief Weiss on their mission."

Aya narrowed his eyes, suddenly understanding the situation. "Manx."

Manx ignored him. "I was planning to stop by your apartment later, so you actually saved me a trip. I apologize if everything seems so sudden, but Kritiker officially extends an offer to you. Join Weiss, temporarily, to help them hunt the dark beasts of the night."

"_Manx_," Aya said again, sounding more furious than before. The woman only gave him a sharp glance, telling him to shut up.

Minako, who had been quietly trying to devise a way out of the situation, shook her head. There was nothing she could do or say to escape. They had a complete file on her; there was no tricking them. "I don't want anything to do with this."

"How else do you plan to repay your debt to Persia?"

A thought had occurred to her suddenly, though—and that was that she had to keep Usagi safe. She glanced at the paper in Aya's tight grip, wondering if their knowledge extended only to Sailor V. She had no idea what they would do if she kept refusing, but as long as Sailor Senshi business wasn't involved...

"Right, my debt," she said, chewing on the words. As long as Usagi wasn't involved—as long as it was only she who would delve into this dark world. "What did I owe him again?"

"Your life," Manx said simply, as if lives were things to be bartered with. Minako couldn't help but smile ruefully.

"Of course," she said quietly. "Then what other choice do I have?"

Ken openly gaped. "What the hell," he said, still not over the fact that Sailor V was standing right in front of him. "You can't be serious, Manx."

"Are we not good enough?" Youji joked, running a hand through his hair. He eyed Minako, wondering what on earth about her would contribute to the team. Sure, so she was a former teenage superhero—that was exactly the problem. Superheroes and assassins didn't mix. Omi, however, looked thoughtful.

Aya chose a more obvious of showing what he thought of the idea—he turned around and stormed up the stairs. The door slammed; Manx rolled her eyes and Youji winced.

"That guy," he muttered. "Always such a diva."

"You'll get used to it," Omi said to Minako, whose expression was still troubled. "I'm sorry, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Omi, Tsukiyono Omi."

"Ah," Minako said, blinking at him. How on earth did such an innocent looking kid get tied up in something like Weiss? "Aino Minako."

"Kudou Youji," Youji said with a sigh. "And this idiot is Hidaka Ken."

"I can introduce myself," Ken scowled, nudging Youji harshly. The lanky man waved his protests away.

"Anyway, Aino-chan," Youji said, crossing his legs and sitting up. He smiled at her, though she got the feeling it wasn't meant to be welcoming. "Tell me, what can you bring to the table?"

And if Minako were to be quite honest, she had no idea.

**x**

Hino Rei woke up and found herself in a familiar environment.

Although she hadn't slept on that bed for years, and although she couldn't remember the last time she'd actually stepped foot into the room, it was familiar. She looked around the room, breathing it in. Her eyes fell on the faded wallpaper; it hadn't changed, even after all of these years. Smiling faintly at the ripped curtains, images of her hiding from her mother came to mind. She stepped off the bed; the carpet still felt the same under her toes.

A throat cleared, and she froze.

"Good morning, Miss Takatori."

A man decked in glasses and a cream colored suit sat on the armchair by the opposite wall. While he held a steely smile on his face, the boy sitting on the floor next to him had a blank expression on. Rei tensed, not even needing to consult any fires to feel uneasy about the two.

"Please," the man said, "relax. I have much to discuss with you, Miss Takatori."

Her eyes narrowed slightly at the title, and she asked quietly, "Who are you?"

"My name is Crawford. This is Nagi," the man said, motioning towards the boy. "We are your father, Mr. Takatori's bodyguards. At the moment, however, you are entrusted in our care."

"I'm not entrusted in anyone's care," Rei dismissed flatly. Crawford's smile flashed again.

"I have a proposition for you, Miss Takatori."

"Not interested."

"Oh, but I think you will be." He stood up, the boy mimicking his actions. "Come, join us for breakfast."

"I'd rather not." At that moment, her stomach betrayed her and rumbled. Her cheeks flushing, Rei gave herself no other choice but to follow after Crawford. She paused at the door, glancing at the boy—Nagi, was it?

He stared right back at her, unperturbed.

"Nagi," Crawford said, and Nagi let go of the door, walking past Rei. Crawford led them down the corridor, and Rei could hear the faint sound of silverware clinking. She paused at the large door at the end of the hall, even before Crawford and Nagi had stopped walking.

"Your memory is sharp," Crawford said, and he pushed the door open. Then he seemed to tense, and Rei glanced at the room from under his arm.

A large rectangular table, an excessively large chandelier and two men were in the room. Nothing bizarre about that. Rei stepped around Crawford's arm, making her way into the room; just as she took one step inside, the man with the bandana flew across the room at the other man.

"Farfarello!" he all but shrieked, knocking down the one with the eye patch. His hands wrapped around the other's shoulders, and he began to slam him down repeatedly on the floor. "You—"

_Thud_. Rei swore that Farfarello guy was smiling.

"—sick—"

_Thud_. Crawford sighed, rubbing his forehead with one hand.

"—bastard!"

_Thud_.

"Schuldig," Crawford said.

"Craw_ford_," the man with the bandana whined as he noticed the new faces, motioning wildly at the door on the right. "He fucked up the coffee machine again!"

"_Schuldig_," Crawford repeated evenly while Nagi disappeared into that door, "we have a _guest_."

At this Schuldig gave him an irritated look. They made eye contact, but stayed silent. Rei looked back and forth between the men; with each passing second, Crawford looked more settled (but about what?) as Schuldig grew more annoyed. It was as if they were having a voiceless conversation.

Opening her mouth to interrupt the silence, Rei was cut off as Nagi reentered the room and spoke in his quiet voice:

"It was just unplugged, Schuldig."

A brief silence perforated the air again as Schuldig gave the smug Farfarello a dirty look. "You purposely gave me a thought that you broke it so I could hurt you, you masochistic _sonnuva_—"

"_Schuldig_," Crawford said yet again, and the German made an irate noise.

"Fine!" Mussing up his own hair, he glanced finally in Rei's direction. _I feel sorry for you, having to deal with an asshole like him this early_.

Rei's eyes widened as she stared at him. She had heard of telepaths, but she didn't think they actually existed—unless she was imagining it.

_Of course we exist. Only ignorant humans deny our existence._

Rei's hand clenched into a fist. "Get out of my mind," she snapped.

_No thank you_. A smirk smoothed his angry features as he disappeared behind the door, waving his hand at her. Farfarello, ignoring her presence completely, trailed after Schuldig. Rei whipped around, facing a composed Crawford.

"Just who are you, really?"

"Please, Miss Takatori," Crawford smiled. "Have a seat."

Nagi raised a hand in the hair, and the nearest chairs moved out of its place. Crawford moved swiftly into one, motioning for Rei to do the same as Nagi settled into the third. After she warily sat down, the man moved right into business.

"Usually I wouldn't be so blunt, but we don't have much time." Crawford's glasses flashed as he tilted his head back, looking down at her. "If you cooperate with us, we will spare your life."

"What kind of bodyguard threatens their charge?" Rei asked, gritting her teeth. Crawford didn't lose his composure.

"The kind of bodyguard that is more powerful than their charge."

Rei remained stony-faced, and Nagi curiously glanced over at her. _She's different than that Mercury one_, he voicelessly emphasized, and in the back of his mind he heard Schuldig snort in reply.

"Takatori Reiji does not know what he is getting himself into," Crawford continued. "He is under the impression that he is the one who holds all the power. He is aware of our abilities—" at this Nagi floated himself a glass of orange juice from the side door, Rei watching impassively, "—but he does not know where we are from."

"What the hell do you want with me?"

Crawford steeled his gaze. "By asking you to cooperate with us, I am actually asking you to cooperate with your father." He ignored the sudden indignant look in her eyes. "There is no doubt that he will try to turn you into a mindless fool. Your brothers have already undergone that fate."

Rei had forgotten that she had brothers.

Crawford's businessman smile slipped back on. "Your abilities are not of a different element than ours. Your comrade—Sailor Venus, was it?—she has already discovered how to use her abilities without transforming. We can help you unlock your own."

She had forgotten that her life as a senshi was not the only life she lived.

"I am advising you to think carefully over this. Politics is a dirty business, Miss Takatori."

She had forgotten she was a Takatori long ago.

After a minute's silence, Crawford stood up. "Very well, then. I make my leave here. Your father calls. Nagi will stay to watch over you." He brushed off his pants as Nagi mentally pushed the chair back to its proper place. "If you're going to leave the house, please bring him along with you. Good day, Miss Takatori."

Just as he reached the door, Rei spoke. "Wait."

"Yes?"

"What do I get in return?"

Interesting, Nagi thought. They had extended the same offer to Sailor Mercury just a week ago, and the ice-wielder had adamantly refused. Rei, however, was glaring at them thoughtfully. Was she actually considering their offer?

"What do you get?" Crawford smiled. "Why, the world, of course."

"Tch," Rei scoffed, crossing her legs. "What would I do with the world?"

"Anything you would like to do, Miss Takatori."

Rei gave him a sardonic smile, tilting her head and looking at him from under her lashes. "What I would like to do, _Mister Crawford_," she said, and Nagi wondered for the briefest of moments what in the world was going on, "is go home, unbothered."

"We can arrange something," Crawford said, humoring her. If Nagi were bolder, he would have wondered if the older man was flirting. Crawford turned to go, but not before pausing and inclining his head. "Also, Miss Takatori, I'm sorry for your loss. Allow me to offer my condolences."

Rei's smile dropped. She stood up, pushing her chair back so hard that it fell over. Her heart beat louder than the words she spoke. "What are you talking about?"

"Your grandfather," Crawford said, "passed away last night, soon after you visited your father's office."

And Nagi proceeded to watch as a part of her world shattered.

* * *

**notes** so... minako joins weiss! when i first wrote it, i guess i didn't realize how cliché it was. and seeing as her involvement is sort of important to the plot now, i can't undo it. her integration into the team won't be as kosher as old readers remember; i can't at all imagine any of these boys letting someone join them. oh well.

thank you readers and reviewers :) i appreciate everything!


	3. 02: des petites conversations

**chapter two: des petites conversations**

Crawford had left with Schuldig and Farfarello a good ten hours ago, and Nagi didn't know exactly what to do. For the first half hour, she sat in the same spot and stared blankly at her hands. Nagi had waited patiently, hands folded behind his back like a good schoolboy as he stood by her chair. Then abruptly she stood up (her posture, Nagi noted, was alarmingly stable for someone who'd just lost a close relative) and turned away, walking with sure steps to the room she earlier occupied. As day turned over and night hung in the sky, Nagi settled awkwardly into his own bed; he was sure that he wasn't dreaming the muffled, somewhat strangled sobs in the room next door.

The morning woke him up with two short knocks at his door before it opened. Rei stood in the entrance, unabashedly ignoring his lack of decent clothing.

"Let's go."

She didn't wait for a response; she was already out of the door by the time Nagi recomposed himself (he hastily slipped out of his striped pajamas and into his uniform, fighting the heat on his cheeks at the fact that she'd seen his pajamas in the first place) and followed after. She walked briskly, as if she had lived her life in the house; if he hadn't known her background story, Nagi wouldn't have doubted it. The two stepped down the large spiral staircase, the lights from the central grand chandelier bouncing off their forms. Nagi couldn't help himself; he stared at her tall back from behind, watching the lights play off her hair.

They stopped in front of the grand entrance. Rei hesitated, her hand resting on the handle as she turned back to look at the chandelier. Then the door handle abruptly pressed down on its own accord and she stepped back.

Nagi said tonelessly, "If we're going, then we're going," as he opened the door without using his hands. He stepped outside first, sparing her a quick glance. She slipped on her sandals, paused to swipe at her eyes in frustration, and followed his footsteps.

He waited, leaning against the circular stone formation surrounding bushes of flowers and allowing her time to gather herself together. It didn't take long; she was standing before him in a matter of minutes. He stared at her as she avoided his gaze and glanced off to the side of him.

"I was wondering," she started a bit roughly before clearing her throat. "I was wondering," Rei said again, more gently this time, "if you knew any place nice."

Nagi blinked, and she pinked, obviously uncomfortable.

"I grew up in a different district."

"A nice place," he repeated flatly, and she glanced away again, looking instead at the gate out front.

"...yeah," she said after a moment. "Somewhere I don't have to think so much."

And despite the fact that he despised babysitting, Nagi led the way.

It wasn't a particularly long walk, and the awkwardness between them had lifted considerably (he was grateful for the fact that she didn't try to engage him in small talk, like the others at the school Crawford all but forced him to go to) as they walked down the sidewalk. He honestly didn't know where he was going; whenever he wanted to shut out the world, he would lock himself in his room and sit at his computer. But something about Rei made him think that she wouldn't appreciate that.

She stopped as they passed a large crowd and he paused, turning around.

_Koneko no Sumu Ie_, Nagi read, narrowing his eyes. He stepped away from the gaggle of girls, putting his hands in his pockets. _They_ worked there. And although _they _had yet to be informed of his existence, with the help of Schuldig, he knew close to everything about _them_. The kittens, chasing after an unreachable light that blinded them in the process. He shook his head, turning his gaze away from the shop and onto Rei.

She was separated from the other girls, lingering near an outside display of large white flowers with petals that frazzled at the end. Her gaze was soft, tender almost, as she stood there staring at them. Fond memories? Nagi didn't know; he didn't really care, but at the same time he couldn't pull his eyes away. She reached out a hand hesitantly to touch a petal. As her fingers made contact, her features darkened, and the pull she had on Nagi broke.

For a moment, she seemed so innocent. He reminded himself that the world was not an innocent place, that the people in it were not so free of guilt.

She was walking back towards him now, and he waited again. There was a guarded look in her eyes as she mumbled for him to continue, and he wordlessly complied. Her quiet disposition this time was unnerving; it was like a cloud of ice was sticking to his back. He didn't blame her; his mood has also dropped after leaving the flower shop.

They eventually passed at a set of stone steps, and Nagi heard her gather in a sudden sharp breath of air. He stopped, turning to see that one of her feet was already on the first step. She was clenching her fists, glaring upwards at something he couldn't see. He traced her gaze, and understood immediately.

"This is your shrine," he said.

"You're telling me you didn't know?"

"I didn't," he replied, and he started walking up the steps past her. Rei followed behind him, slower than before, as if every step she took was a step closer to death. Nagi himself felt that the ascension was like a march to heaven—there didn't seem to be an end. He vaguely wondered if he was going to stick his head in the clouds soon when he missed a step. Looking at his feet, he realized he'd reached the top.

Rei stood beside him now, the expression on her face unreadable to him. Nagi watched as she walked to the front of the shrine. The sign on it read 'closed'; someone must have done that for her. The police, maybe? Or her uncle? She rested her hand against a wooden pillar, sitting down in front of the main screen door without hesitation. Nagi stayed where he was for a moment before tracing her footsteps and sitting down beside her, a good distance away.

From where he sat, the shrine looked like ruins.

The surrounding trees constantly swayed, scattering petals to cover the entire ground. The petals looked undisturbed; they were as pink and lively as they had been on the branches. It seemed as if no one had been here for a good week. Nagi's gaze traveled back over the branches, at the slips of paper tied to them, fluttering in the easy breeze. Rei was looking in the same direction, thoughtful, and after a moment she suddenly turned to him. "Do you want to try your luck at one?"

It was then Nagi noticed how violet her eyes were.

He shook his head, choosing to stare instead at the broom resting against a tree. He had the sudden impulse to do something, but he didn't know what. There was an uneasiness in him that he needed to let out—but what could he do without destroying anything?

"It'll be for free," she said. Her voice was still flat and uninterested; he wondered if she was trying to make conversation for her own sake. If she stayed quiet, would her demons swallow her alive?

He shook his head again, concentrating on the broom. It started to rise—no, he didn't want that; he let it fall back and cast his thoughts around elsewhere.

"Nagi," Rei said, and it was the first time he'd heard his name escape from her lips.

"Miss Takatori."

"Rei."

He glanced at her.

"Call me Rei."

He nodded before turning away again. She tucked her feet under her form before trying again.

"Nagi."

When he turned to her, he saw the surprise in her eyes as the fallen petals started swirling around. They rose higher and higher, flitting this way and that, and Rei got to her feet slowly. She held out a hand; one petal broke from the main cluster and slid almost intentionally to her. The flowers then scattered to the sky and froze. They were suspended mid-air, as if suddenly becoming weightless. A breeze lifted through, brushing against the trees, but the petals were still poised in the air. Then Crawford and Schuldig stepped in through their path, the latter looking most amused.

Rei breathed, and Nagi let the petals fall down in a shower.

"Hoo, Nagi!" Schuldig exclaimed, a hand over his eyes to shield from the sun. "That was really something; trying to impress the pretty girl, eh?"

"No," Nagi said with a scowl, and the other's grin merely widened. Rei stood up as the two approached, but she said nothing. Her eyes fell on the flowers held in Crawford's hands. He set the flowers down where she had been sitting and bowed his head for a brief moment. Then he turned to her.

"Have you thought about when the wake will be?"

Rei gritted her teeth as the politeness of his tone. She was sure he was mocking her. "That would be up to my father, would it not?"

"If you wish to leave the decision to him," Crawford said with a shrug. Schuldig, bored with the conversation, played with a few strands of his own hair. Maybe he'd dye it—green or something. Blonde. "I can contact him, if you would like."

"Do whatever you want," Rei said, and she shoved past him. She ignored Schuldig's low whistle and raised eyebrows as he peered after her.

"Don't think I've ever seen a girl act like that to _you_, Crawford. She's a little spitfire."

Crawford wanted to roll his eyes. Instead, he spoke after Rei's retreating form, "You've thought about our offer?"

"Go shove it up your ass," Rei called back over her shoulder, smiling prettily at him. "I don't want anything to do with that family, and whatever you promise won't make me change my mind."

"Even if it were revenge?" Schuldig asked, and he smirked when Rei stopped dead in her tracks. The telepath slowly approached her, slinking one arm around her shoulders. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it. Ever since last night, when you found out he died, the thought has been creeping in the back of your mind, hasn't it? Wouldn't it be so nice to get back at the bastard that ruined your life?"

"Get off me," Rei hissed, grabbing his arm and shoving him away from her. She glared at him, her cheeks flushed—because he was absolutely right. In between mourning for her grandfather and wondering what her future was going to hold, the idea of payback had snuck into her thoughts.

"You help us, we help you," Schuldig said, leaning forward and meet her gaze evenly. "Doesn't that sound like a lovely idea?"

Nagi watched the scene unfold with slight wonder. It never failed to amaze him the extent of what Schuldig could do. He would never tell the older man, dear lord no, but he thought the idea of being able to persuade, to convince, to sway... It was powerful. Was he envious of Schuldig's ability? Maybe not, but he couldn't deny that he admired it all the same.

"Miss Takatori," Crawford said, smooth as usual. "Please reconsider."

"Why do you want me?" Rei asked quietly, her gaze troubled. Crawford almost smiled, knowing that he had sealed the deal.

"We want the same thing, do we not?"

Rei narrowed her eyes. "And why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't," Crawford said, and he nodded at Schuldig. "Unlock her memories."

"Wait—"

But it was too late. Rei dropped to her knees, letting out a sharp cry as Schuldig pried through her mind. It was as if someone was grabbing her head and slamming it against the ground. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to fight against it, but Schuldig was too strong. All at once, everything about the Silver Millennium rushed at her—the stars that were too close, the moon that was too cold, the war that was too near to her heart.

She was briefly aware of Nagi's arms around her, warm and yet so cold, before her world went black.

**x**

Skilled hands quickly applied paste onto the door handle. There was a slight pause as he pressed the button; then he leapt back, ducking behind a tree and covering his ears. Five seconds passed, seven, then ten, and smoke issued from the handle before a small bang occurred.

"Nice one, Siberian," Youji commented through the earpiece. "Now they totally don't know we're here."

"Abyssinian is taking care of it," Omi replied distractedly as he continued to key in access codes. "Siberian, return to your position until you're clear—Balinese, you're open."

Ken sighed, flexing his fingers and watching Youji disappear behind the door. He held his arms above his head before jumping and grabbing a hold of a branch. Hoisting himself up, he balanced on the branch—his position. Stay there until Youji disposed of the guards. Also known as sentinel duty, the one thing he hated more than data retrieval missions.

Something abruptly caught the corner of his eye and he crouched low on the branch. "Bombay, movement at my position, two o'clock from the building."

"Shi—Balinese, where are you?"

"I'm a little—caught—up!" Youji responded in grunts. Ken frowned, hearing the distinct _shwing_! of the other man's garrote.

"Siberian, stay put. I'm accessing cameras now."

Ken stayed where he was, ready to drop down on command. The movement stilled for a moment, and he swore it was sniffing. "Bombay, I don't think it's human."

"I don't see anything there, Siberian. It's too far in."

"Alright, you get back on your job. I'll take care of it."

"No, hold your position."

"Negative," Ken responded, hastily releasing the claws on his left hand. "I'm gonna get rid of it."

"_Siberian, don't mo—_"

Ken dropped down onto the forest floor, just as the thing leapt up at the branch he was just perched on. He dove in, driving his claws against—fur? flesh?—the thing, and it howled. It grabbed his hands, still buried in, and threw Ken off to the side. There was a sickening crack as his back collided with a tree; Ken wiped the blood trickling down the corner of his mouth, attempting to steady himself. His vision went fuzzy for a moment before it finally settled and he got a good look at his opponent.

The beast, covered in fur and baring claws and fangs, roared at him. Ken swallowed, feeling his heart hammer against his chest excitedly. He was absolutely repulsed at the image of the thing, but a part of him couldn't help but anticipate the battle.

"Abyssinian, go back and help him!"

"Surrounded." A gunshot, the sound of clashing metal.

"Sh—Siberian, I'm coming!"

"No," Ken growled, wiping the blood from his forehead. The beast lumbered over him by a good meter and a half. "I can handle this!"

It lunged, and Ken shot off to the side. He wasn't quick enough; his leg was caught under the beast's gigantic form. Ken plunged his claws into its back and tore down—it roared again. It grabbed his leg, dragging the assassin backwards. With its own claws, it tore at Ken's chest before throwing him against the nearest tree.

_Shit_, Ken mused, one hand on his chest. He drew it back quickly upon the touch of something wet and sticky through his gloves. _The hell is that thing? It's like it doesn't feel pain._

It leered at him, growling, and he rolled over onto his stomach. "You're starting to annoy me." He managed to get to his feet, pushing up with his arms. The beast neared, and Ken sliced forward. It caught his arm with one hand and grabbed his neck with the other.

"Ken-kun!" the voice in his earpiece cried.

"Sh—shit," Ken replied back, struggling for air as he was lifted off his feet. The earpiece fell to the floor.

The beast gave a wily grin, almost human-like, squeezing harder. Ken felt his windpipes closing in as he kicked his legs, trying to aim for its body. Still, even as the air was slowly leaving his body, he felt his heart beating. He didn't want to die like this—nameless, in a forest, during a damn data retrieval mission where he was assigned sentinel duty.

Ken slashed forward, slicing through the beast's arm; he landed harshly on the ground and rolled out of the way. The beast was howling, tramping over everything, but Ken couldn't see. He heaved for air, but his vision started to blacken. Blindly, he felt his way around, crawling away from the sound of the beast.

He leaned back against a tree trunk, breathing slowly and closing his eyes. His heart still beat thirstily, craving for more adrenaline. He could feel his life coming back to him—and that was until the tree trunk suddenly split in half and he was grabbed by the head. Something snapped—his arm, maybe? Ken swiped forward blindly again, but the beast slammed him against the ground.

Shit, he thought as his breath left him again. Maybe this was where he was going to die after all.

And then with a jolt, he was thrown to the side. He landed with a thud, vacantly aware of the howl the beast made.

There was a flash of light (Ken thought for a moment he was in Heaven before the light disappeared as quickly as it had come), and then the forest seemed to shake. He heard whimpering as he tried to blink his eyes; was that the monster he had just been fighting? There was another loud roar—a strangled cry, an ear-splitting crash, another flash of light. A mini-earthquake, panting, crinkling leaves. The sound of a sharp gasp reached his ears, as well as the all-too familiar sound of blood hitting the ground.

Silence.

There was a rustling of leaves again—someone was running in his direction. Ken heard them drop beside him, felt hands pulling his jacket aside and digging under his shirt.

"Holy sh—Ken, don't close your eyes."

"Sorry," he choked out with a slight smile, and then he started coughing. Something filled his throat; he leaned over to the side, spitting up blood. The hands turned him onto his back again, slapping against his cheek.

"Ken, _listen to me_! Don't close your eyes, damn it!"

He dimly heard a tearing sound and a breeze settled onto him. The warmth left his cheeks and pressed against his chest.

"Ken, look at me!"

He opened them and found himself staring into clear blue eyes. These weren't Omi's eyes, because Omi's eyes were always so damn sad. He always told the younger boy to stop trying to shoulder the world's burdens, but Omi would never listen...

"Good, don't look away—look right at me, remember me? Don't close your eyes, okay?"

He tried to shake his head, but found that his head suddenly weighed more than it ever had. He coughed again, tasting iron and feeling blood trickle down his chin.

"Shit—"

A strangled noise—something dripped on his face, like rain. There was a deep intake of breath, something also warm covering his lips before the pressure on his chest increased.

"Ken, stay with me!"

He opened his eyes again, staring into the sky before black took over.

* * *

**notes** ken has always been one of my favorites. must be the soccer thing ;p

anyway, i hope i've done an alright job of characterizing everyone, especially schwarz. i didn't want to take away from their 'idgaf' attitudes, and just becos rei's pretty and sharp doesn't mean that'll change.

thank you my reviewers. :) you guys are loved plenty.

thanks for reading!


	4. 03: stitchwork

**chapter three: stitchwork i**

Omi clicked rapidly against the keyboard of his laptop, trying in vain to ignore the crashing sounds coming from Ken's port. He gritted his teeth, straightened his back and typed away—access, access, access denied. Damn. A fierce growl erupted in his ear as he pulled up a program, watching numbers and letters flash across the screen. Bingo. Access.

There was a harsh thud in his ear. "Ken-kun!"

A crackling sound took over. Static. Then silence.

"Damn it—Balinese, all doors are open for you. Abyssinian, discard your objectives and pick up on Siberian's."

He hoped the silence meant no problems. Tearing off his earpiece and stuffing all the equipment into his messenger bag, Omi took off. He ducked behind the nearest car, pulling his goggles over his eyes; almost immediately the view from the nearest security camera was at his beck and call. Five guards—no problem.

Omi slipped a throwing knife into his palm, checked his angle and threw it. The knife fell true to its mark; the man was down in an instant. The other guards were now in a panic. "Check over there! I'll get the lot!"

No, you won't, Omi mentally challenged. As the man approached, he caught him under the arm and slid another knife across his throat. The man fell silent and Omi darted behind another car. More knives, more quick flicks of the wrist—the other three were down.

Omi checked the cameras once more before sprinting towards the fence. He grabbed the metal bar and hoisted himself over, allowing adrenaline to take over. The trees grew denser the faster he ran, the noise under his feet more audible. His ears strained to hear Ken, to hear any sign of claws or beast.

There was a cry that made his heart stop and his feet race.

Without giving it much thought, Omi changed his direction to the left. He heard the slams and the distinct sound of something furious—was it man or beast? The forest then gave a shudder—the leaves rustled, the tree trunks rattled, and all became silent.

"—don't close your eyes—"

Omi was getting closer.

"—don't close your eyes damn it—"

He knew that voice.

"Ken, stay with me!"

Ken.

"Minako-san!" He skidded to a stop, dropping down beside the frazzled blonde. His eyes took in the form of his fallen teammate and at once he started to work; he pulled bandages and started to prop Ken's head up against his knee. "What happened?"

Minako's face was pale, spotted with blood, and she wordlessly gestured to the side. A large lump lay on the ground, and as he cast his gaze around, he could make out dark stains all over the grounds. "What it was—I killed it, but it—Ken's in bad shape."

Omi paused to glance at her. Although he hadn't gotten to know her in the time between now and the basement, he could tell that such a serious expression didn't suit her. Then again, did it suit anyone? Wordlessly, Omi rummaged through his bag before producing a handkerchief. He handed it to her. "You have blood on you. Are you injured?"

Her lips tightened as she wiped at her mouth. "Just bruises. I tried to give him CPR. He's breathing."

"Thank you."

Minako gave a noncommittal noise in response, turning to stare again at the hairy lump on the ground.

Omi continued to haphazardly wound bandages around his teammate's chest, pausing only to grab a new roll from his bag. The blood easily soaked through; he gritted his teeth, wondering how long it would take for Youji and Aya to regroup. Then again, with the botched mission, their coordinates probably had changed now... "What was it that attacked him?"

When she kept quiet, he turned his dark blue eyes on her.

"Minako-san?"

"It was human."

"What?" Omi fingers froze from rolling the bandages around Ken's arm. His eyes fell back to the lump. "Human?"

Minako hesitated, glancing at him with a guilty expression on her face. "Previously, I mean. I don't know what happened or why he was in the form of a youma—"

"Youma?"

"Monsters that we usually dealt with."

"We?"

"I," Minako hastily corrected. Omi kept the thought in his mind for later, but he nodded for her to continue. "Sailor V, and all that."

"Is that how you got rid of it?"

Minako nodded shortly, glancing down at her hands. "More or less."

"How do you know it's human?"

"My powers are dominated towards exterminating youma." There was a flash of light; Minako was holding a small heart above her palm. Her gaze hardened and the heart burst into tiny specks of light before disappearing. "At first glance, I thought it was a youma. It had the same feeling, the same look. The same disregard for human life. When I killed it, something didn't feel right."

Omi tightened the bandage before pulling out another handkerchief. He wiped down Ken's forehead, frowning.

"It grew cold.. Like my energy was being sucked away. I don't know how else to explain it; it was like—like death, without dying. And then I knew it was another human." She paused, looking up at him with a weary smile. "Sorry, I'm being dramatic."

"Minako-san…"

He had never expected such a serious side to her. Was it really okay to drag her into this business? Aya, upset at having to involve another innocent in their deranged, blood-filled world, was still not talking to anyone if the conversation wasn't mission related. Youji, surprisingly, had pulled Manx aside and voiced his own concerns about Minako. Manx refused to budge, however. Back then, Omi had warily trusted that Persia knew what he was doing. Now, however, seeing the look on her face...

Omi looked away, realizing that she had the gaze of one who had to sacrifice—the same gaze that haunted the other members of Weiss. Guilt overwhelmed him. Was it okay to do this?

"Bombay."

"Shit, what happened to Ken?"

Omi whirled around. "Aya, Youji. Mission status?"

"Success," Youji replied offhandedly, holding up the folder they had been sent to retrieve. He raised his sunglasses to rest on the top of his head. "What's going on? Does he need to go to a hospital?"

"Magic Bus," Aya said quietly. Everyone turned to him in surprise; he focused his stare on Ken, frowning. Minako, however, nodded slowly.

"Kritiker's hospital," she said, standing up. She brushed off her pants, trying not to glance at the blood on Aya's katana. "We should go, now. Before he gets worse."

Aya didn't even look at her as he made to move Ken. Youji grimaced when the unconscious man was laid on his back. "Jeez, when this guy wakes up, remind me to tell him to lay off the burgers."

No one laughed at the joke. Omi gave Minako a sidelong glance as the others started off. She was still staring at the mass of hair and limbs on the ground. And although he knew his heart was bigger than it should be—although Omi understood quite well that compared to Youji, Aya and Ken, he was too emotional—he shook his head.

If she wasn't cut out for this profession, then there was no training her. Kill or be killed. A rough lesson, but one that was necessary.

"Do you think you're a bad person?" Minako asked suddenly. Omi was startled out of his thoughts. He frowned.

"Minako-san..."

"Because good people shouldn't be able to do things like this."

Omi held her gaze for a moment before he let a sad smile slip onto his face. "You're absolutely right," he said, and that answer seemed to shake the very core of her.

**x**

Rei's eyes snapped open, the heat from the flames in front of her singeing the tips of her hair. For a moment she sat still, staring into the fire without looking for a vision. Then a chill shot through her spine. She brought a hand to her mouth, sickness welling over her. _So much blood—Minako…_

"Miss Takatori—Rei?"

Nagi. She willed herself to stand up, telling her knees not to buckle as she walked to the screen door. She closed her eyes, composing herself, before she slid the door open. Her sharp eyes fixed on Nagi. "Yes?"

"You're still in ceremonial robes," Nagi said, and Rei frowned. "Your meeting with your family starts in a half hour. You told us you weren't going to take long."

Funny how the most he's ever said to her happened to be a scolding.

"Five minutes," she said, and she darted past him, disappearing behind a corridor and into her room. Rei threw off her shrine wear, digging through her closet for something more suitable. Her hand brushed against a white dress and she yanked it out, pulling it over her head. She dropped to her knees, reaching one hand in the closet before taking out a shoebox. She quickly slipped on the white heels, ran a comb through her hair and flew out of the room.

Schuldig was waiting for her.

"Are you finally ready, yet?"

"No," Rei replied shortly, almost glowering at him as she walked past. "You're not taking me, are you?"

"Is there a problem with that?" A grin tugged at his lips as he peered quickly through her thoughts. "Nagi's got something else and Crawford already left."

"Stop doing that."

"But your mind," he said, "tastes sweeter than others."

Rei didn't bother to answer, opening the car door and settling in grumpily. She crossed her arms and started out the window. Schuldig merely shrugged, turning the key in the ignition and driving off.

The car ride there, surprisingly to Rei, was mostly silent. There was the occasional _remember-what-Crawford-said_ and _I-know-what-I'm-doing_, but the two didn't bicker or banter. She assumed it was either the driving or he was prying into her mind again—she didn't mind as much as she usually would, as long as he didn't open his mouth to talk. Halfway through the drive, though, there came a noise from behind and she nearly had a heart attack at discovering Farfarello huddled behind her seat.

"Farf," Schuldig reprimanded lazily, "don't scare the girl."

The man with the eye patch grinned in response, and Rei made certain that her back wasn't _quite_ touching the seat. Crossing her arms again, she focused on the outside scenery gliding past. Apparently her father had taken the time to arrange a family reunion out of town.

"Where are we going?"

"Hm?" Schuldig glanced back as he changed lanes. "The press received word of where he was going with his family. Mr. Takatori wants this to be a private affair."

"Oh." _Right. Private affair._ Rei fell quiet again, massaging her forehead with a hand and wondering for the hundredth time why she had agreed to this deal. Crawford's conditions had been fairly simple—infiltrate back into the Takatori family, get on her father's good side, and stay out of trouble.

Stay out of trouble. Rei snorted, ignoring the feeling of Schuldig's eyes on her again. As if she could stay out of trouble, with the way things were going—she was knee-deep in it, wallowing in danger. What in the world was the matter with her that she was willing to work with complete strangers?

And she answered her question without a second thought—everything was the matter, because without ojiisan...

Her head was starting to hurt again. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on other things that didn't make her world close in on itself. There was time to mourn later. Now she had to be strong. She knew she was being used by these bodyguards, but if it was to her advantage—if she could make her father suffer as much as he had made her...

"We're here," Schuldig said abruptly, and he glanced over at her with raised eyebrows. Rei blinked, clearing her head. The car had stopped moving long ago; why hadn't he said anything before?

"I told you to stay out of my head."

"I can't escort you inside; Crawford sent me on another errand. Have fun!" With that, Schuldig opened her door, kicked her out and closed it. Waving, he drove off as Farfarello wiggled his way into the front.

Rei made a violent motion at the retreating vehicle before realizing she had a suit coat in her hands. Conveniently white, too. Apparently the asshole had a surprisingly thoughtful side to him. She shrugged it on, approaching the entrance. At the sight of her, two workers rushed forward.

"I'm sorry, this is reservation only."

"We're full, I apologize for the inconvenience."

The two paused, glaring at each other before the younger one had the grace to look shamed.

"Actually, there's a private luncheon going on; we were asked to hold all non-reservation clients until their last member arrived."

"I'm with the Takatori party." Rei glanced around, eyeing the restaurant. It was dimly lit, despite the light fixtures hanging over every table, with areas sectioned off—she could distinguish easily where the middle-class sat separately from the high-class, and where the upper high-class dined.

The other man smiled understandingly. "Yes, I'm sure you are. Please come back in three hours or so; the party shall be done by then."

"Listen," Rei said testily, hand on her hip, "I don't know what hit you over the head, but something must have done damage if you think I'm lying. _I'm with the Takatori party_."

"Ma'am, I won't say this again. Please leave."

"What are you, de—"

"Miss Takatori," Crawford said smoothly as he slid into view. "I hope there's no trouble?"

"No," Rei smiled at the worker, eyebrows raised. "None at all." And she took Crawford's arm as he led her past rows and rows of tables. Rei's stomach tightened with discomfort, suddenly realizing that in minutes she would have to pretend that her family was everything to her, even though all she wanted to do was light them all on fire.

They approached a large, ornate door, which was opened almost immediately at the sight of Crawford by a young worker. The elaborate sign that hung overhead proclaimed it to be _L'Area du Clair_.

"After you," Crawford said, his voice somehow calming her nerves, and Rei managed to take a deep breath.

"Charming today, aren't we?" She received a well-played smile in return as she stepped past him and into the room. The doors closed behind her; he hadn't followed. She took another deep breath and several quick steps.

Her family was sitting at a round, eloquent table; a large, intricate chandelier hung overhead and illuminating their faces. For the briefest moment, they seemed unreachable—sharp tuxedos, flowing gowns, wine glasses clinking together and polite laughter echoing in her ears. The light only emphasized that effect, crystallizing the photographic-like scene; they looked ethereal.

Then Rei remembered that they were only family in blood—that the senshi were more than enough for her. She smiled, straightening her shoulders and striding forward.

"Rei!" one man cried out. He quickly stood up, crossing the room to her and gathering her in his arms. "Rei, it's you, it's really you!"

She forced herself to embrace the man, her gaze going over his shoulders to the head of the table. Her father was half-standing as he warily looked on. Good, at least he looked worried. Rei pulled back, her smile deepening. "Hirofumi, you look well."

Takatori Hirofumi beamed. "You've grown into a woman. What happened to the little girl that beat up boys at the park?"

"What happened to the nerdy older brother who would rather read books than flirt with girls?" Rei replied, and for a moment—just one tiny little moment—she felt like maybe things were going to be alright. Then Masafumi stood up from his seat and approached her.

"Rei," he said evenly. Rei met his gaze cautiously, careful not to let her smile drop.

"Oniisama," she said, bowing her head. He nodded, and Rei saw the suspicion in his gaze. Although she tried to ignore her family's politics, she couldn't escape from everything. There were times, long ago, where Ami would casually mention some kind of research that Takatori Masafumi was conducting. Rei was sure her friend didn't know about her connection to the Takatori family, otherwise Ami would be more sensitive in criticizing them—especially Masafumi's slightly paranoid behavior, according to the media.

"Come," Masafumi eventually said after holding her stare for a moment. "Sit, please. Father was just mentioning that you've moved into mother's old place."

"That's right," Rei murmured, allowing him to usher her to a seat. She bowed to her father and the man sitting by him—was that her uncle? She honestly didn't remember; she had seen him sporadically during her childhood. Her father nodded, though his gaze was just as suspicious as Masafumi's.

Of course it was, Rei thought as she settled in her seat. She had only just threatened him a day ago. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to quell the bubbling feeling inside her. Hirofumi was blabbering on and on about this and that, but all she could think about was how much she wanted to burn her father's face off.

"So," Takatori said, catching everyone's attention. "How is the house?"

"Fine," Rei said quietly.

"Good," he replied. "I trust you to take care of it."

"But," Hirofumi suddenly sputtered, "I thought your bodyguards live there, otousama?"

"If Masafumi can bring his bodyguards for a family gathering, then I don't see what the problem is with Rei living at the house," Takatori said evenly. He gave Masafumi a slight glance, who actually had the decency to look embarrassed as the bodyguards mentioned all blushed. Rei, however, knew the meaning behind his words—she knew Crawford had somehow sweet-talked him into it. Whatever Crawford was planning, she knew she had to be weary.

"Rei, you remember ojisan?" Hirofumi said hastily, trying to stop the fight before it happened. Rei glanced at the bearded young man sitting beside her father. She had a vague memory of him—flashes of him ran through her mind. He was a good friend of her mother's, she remembered.

"Ojisan, I hope you're well," she said carefully, not knowing his place within the family. Was he like Masafumi, ready to flee at any chance? Or was he like Hirofumi, who wanted nothing more than to be like the head Takatori? Her uncle smiled; Rei found he had a very serious face.

"And this is Ouka-chan," Hirofumi continued. He waved his hand at the girl sitting on the other side of their uncle; the girl stood up and bowed formally. "She's your half-sister."

Rei nodded, watching as the girl sat back down. Ouka met her gaze confidently and gave her an open smile. Rei hadn't expected that at all; she turned away, wondering why she felt—guilty. She knew nothing about Ouka; she didn't know if the girl was as spoiled as the rest of her family. But for some reason—for some reason, she had an inkling that maybe Ouka didn't know just what her family was.

The rest of the lunch went along quietly. Hirofumi did most of the talking, discussing things with their father. Masafumi kept silent, eating his food without even looking up at anyone else.

"I've decided that a wake won't be necessary," Takatori said, and Rei suddenly felt that her dress was too tight, that the lights were too dim and that his smile was too infuriating. She forced herself to breathe.

"Ah, but otousama," Hirofumi said quietly, sneaking a glance at Rei. "Isn't it proper?"

"We can carry out the burial, but it isn't proper for me to arrange his wake." Takatori kept his eyes on his daughter, who took to staring at the plate in front of her. "That would have been your mother's job, but she's dead."

"Reiji," her uncle said. Shuuichi, right? "He's cared for your daughter for so long."

"The funeral rites will be enough," Takatori said. Rei swallowed. And though she wanted to demand what he honestly wanted from her, why did he take her away from her life, why ruin everything she had worked hard for—she bowed her head.

"Of course," Rei said. Takatori's gaze was odd, but he didn't say any more. It was Shuuichi who spoke again.

"So," he said, reaching for his wine glass. "Rei, how are your studies?"

"Fine," Rei said in the same tone.

"Are you in any clubs?" Hirofumi asked when a silence ensued. "I know you were in the kyudo club in high school, but do you have time for that in college?"

Rei shook her head. "Todai is very busy," she said politely. She could feel her father's gaze on her, burning through the side of her head. More than anything—more than anything she wanted to slap that smile on his face. He hadn't won anything yet, she thought.

"Todai sounds so cool," Ouka said. Rei didn't miss the way Hirofumi bit back a sigh. Takatori, however, looked at Ouka fondly.

"That's right," he said. "You're thinking of applying there, aren't you, Ouka-chan?"

"If my grades are good enough." Ouka blushed, glancing down at her lap. "I'll work hard to make you proud."

Takatori actually beamed. Rei wondered if she was supposed to feel something—anger, jealousy, anything—but as she watched the scene proceed, she was just cold. It was an odd feeling to her; she was used to the fire, to being so close to the flames that her hair burned. But now... It was as if someone had dipped her soul in ice.

After lunch, the Takatori family stood in the parking lot. They were away from the lights and cameras, but Rei still felt as if she were putting on a show.

"You might wonder why I'm doing this," her father said. Rei kept quiet, though she clenched her fists. "You might think I hate you. But I don't. I can't. You share my blood, my name, my DNA. You are every part of me as I am half of you."

Rei took in a deep breath. None of this meant anything to her.

"If you want to know the truth," Takatori said, turning to his daughter, "then I will tell you. As you know, I'm running for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. I have many enemies because of this. Someone decided to attack me by killing your grandfather."

How much of that was a lie? Rei could only feel the cold air against her back as she met her father's gaze.

"I'm afraid they will be after you as well," he continued. "Which is why I want you to stay at the house. Those bodyguards will protect you."

"And who will protect you?"

The question slipped out before she could control it. She only hoped that it sounded concerned and not threatening. Thankfully, Takatori just smiled.

"Crawford is the finest," he replied, just as the man himself arrived in the parking lot with the car. Takatori nodded. "I will see you tomorrow evening, Rei."

"Yes, otousama," she whispered. She met Crawford's gaze evenly, but she was sure that he, out of all the people present, could see the fury in her eyes. Crawford only smirked before he opened the door for Takatori. The rest of the family watched as the car disappeared out of the parking lot.

Masafumi sighed, fixing his coat. "See you later," he grumbled, not even bothering to look at them. He approached his own car, all four bodyguards in tow. Their uncle gave them a more formal goodbye; he even clasped Rei on the shoulder.

"I'm glad I could get some time to know you," he said. "I'm afraid I have no excuse as to why I wasn't there during your childhood. Hopefully we can change that."

Rei nodded, but she said nothing. Something about her uncle made her uncomfortable—it was as if he had too many secrets in that gaze of his.

"I like you," Ouka said suddenly, drawing her out of her thoughts. Rei blinked, staring down at her.

"Eh?"

"I thought you'd be kinda stuffy," Ouka said without hesitation. "But you're the complete opposite."

Rei tilted her head. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

Ouka grinned. "Exactly! Just like that!"

"What on earth—"

Rei was cut off when Ouka looped her arm through hers. She turned brightly to Hirofumi, who was still on the phone. "Oniisama, could I take oneesama somewhere?"

Hirofumi waved her away, turning so he could continue his conversation. Ouka waited patiently, staring at him. Rei, her arm still hostage, wondered where on earth this pushy girl came from.

"Ouka-chan," Hirofumi said with a sigh as he turned back around. He slipped his phone back into his pocket. "We're all very busy."

"It'll only take a few minutes," Ouka said, tugging on Rei's arm. Rei was slightly bewildered; she hadn't expected Ouka to be so—so _bossy_. "We're just going to get some flowers, that's all."

Hirofumi seemed to want to say no. He knew, however, that his father adored Ouka. Saying no would get him nowhere. "If Rei doesn't object."

"Well," Rei said, but Ouka cut her off again.

"Perfect! Let's go, I know you'll enjoy this place!"

Ouka took Rei by the hand, pulling her down the street. Rei cast a glance over her shoulder, just in time to catch Hirofumi mutter under his breath, "That bastard child could at least have the decency to address me properly. As if I'm her brother..."

She whipped her gaze back to Ouka, whose eyes were bright. "Hopefully they won't be busy by this time," she said, smiling. "You'll get to meet Omi, too."

Rei didn't want to meet Omi. She wanted to chase after her father's car and smash his face into the rear view mirror. She sighed, allowing Ouka to pull her away from the restaurant and to the nearest bus stop. The two of them waited patiently (or, in Rei's case, as patiently as she could without telling her newfound step-sister to shut up). It was another half hour before they finally arrived at their destination; before Rei could ask Ouka what in the world she was thinking by dragging her to a high school drool fest, Ouka led her into the shop.

"Well hello there, ojuo-sama," came the immediate greeting. Ouka rolled her eyes and Rei stared at the tall young man with the apron on.

"Youji-san," Ouka replied, quite uninterested. "Omi-kun is around?"

"In the back," Youji sighed, shaking his head. He leaned over a chair with a playful look on his face. "You never make time for the rest of us, huh?"

"Hmm?" Ouka blinked at him. "Did you say something?"

Youji's eye twitched as Ouka continued to make her way to the back. He turned his gaze instead to Rei, who had pulled her arm away from Ouka. She was glancing curiously around the shop with a frown on her face; Youji wondered what she would look like with a smile. He plucked a carnation from the nearest pot (all the while ignoring Aya's death glare at him as he did so), sauntering over to her.

Rei sneezed when he presented the carnation to her. Youji started. "I'm sorry, are you allergic?"

She scowled, crossing her arms. "I'm not," she said. "You just caught me off guard."

"My apologies," Youji said smoothly, wondering if he could at all salvage the situation. He hadn't met a woman yet that he couldn't charm... "How can I make it up to you?"

"I'm fine," she said shortly, and she brushed past him to look at the arrangements in the fridge. His smile fell. Well, he thought, that didn't happen every day. He scratched the back of his neck, shrugging. Maybe he didn't want a piece of whatever crawled up her ass, anyway; he lit up a cigarette, waving away Aya's scowl in his direction for even doing so.

"It's just one," he said.

"Take it outside," Aya grumbled.

"Rei?"

Youji glanced up at the sound of Minako's voice. The cigarette almost fell out his mouth when Minako embraced Surly Girl like they were long-lost sisters. He took a moment to appreciate the fact that he had been right, her face was a whole lot prettier with a smile on, before he flopped down into a chair. While he still wasn't used to having Minako around, he did try to appreciate her presence.

"It's been awhile," Minako said, beaming. Youji hadn't ever seen this side of her. It was honestly as if she had no cares in the world. "Wow, you look great, miko-chan. Working out?"

Rei rolled her eyes. "I've always looked great."

"You haven't changed at all." Minako threw her arms around her friend's shoulders again, squeezing tightly. "I've been meaning to visit, but I've been busy."

"I know," Rei said, and Minako looked up at her in a way that Youji thought was highly suspicious. The look quickly disappeared, but Youji was sure he hadn't imagined it. "I can't believe they let someone like you work here."

"Hmph," Minako said, shoving her friend on the shoulder. "To sell flowers, one has to be as beautiful as the product, you know."

Rei rolled her eyes again. Youji could easily see the dynamics in their friendship; he leaned back in his seat, taking a puff of his cigarette. Across the room, Aya was also observing them, although a bit more subtly. The two young women were soon chatting about their other friends—their other lives, it seemed.

"Aw, we need to get together sometime," Minako said enthusiastically, waving her arms. "I'm sure gramps misses having such cute young ladies around, right?"

Youji's eyes narrowed when Rei's expression suddenly closed up. "Minako..."

"What's wrong?"

It was almost alarming to Youji how quickly Minako's expression could change. He already knew that she could adapt quickly to many situations; he just didn't know that it applied to her life outside of crime-fighting as well. He let out a drag of smoke, storing that detail for later.

"He's dead," Rei said quietly, her eyes watering. She swallowed, looking away from her friend's crystal blue eyes. Minako's mouth closed as she stared at her.

"What?" Minako finally said.

"He passed away," Rei mumbled, feeling something swell up inside her. Youji finally looked away, feeling that the moment was too private even for him to eavesdrop on. Minako quickly glanced around, as if suddenly realizing they were in public; she took Rei by the elbow and led her to the back of the shop.

The two of them ran into Ouka and Omi. Omi looked a bit hassled, but his expression quickly became concerned when he saw the tears in both young women's eyes. "Minako-san?"

"Oneesama?" Ouka said uncertainly, biting her lip. She had an arrangement in her arms. "I'm sorry, but I was asking Omi-kun to make an arrangement for the burial..."

Minako stared at Ouka for five whole seconds before she turned to Omi. "Please, could we have some privacy?"

Omi nodded, barely hesitating as he ushered Ouka out. "If you need anything..."

"Thanks," Minako said shortly before she pulled Rei into the back kitchen. Rei immediately sat down, her shoulders hunched as she tried to contain her tears. The blonde watched her, giving her a moment, before she dove right in

"'Oneesama'?" Minako asked, still staring at Rei. "What the hell is going on?"

Rei buried her face in her hands, taking in a shaky breath. "Not now, Mina."

"Bullshit," Minako said, swooping down on Rei. She pulled her friend into her arms. "What the hell is going on with you, Rei?"

And it took a moment—a moment for Rei to cry, for Minako to try to understand, for the two of them to feel like soldiers and comrades and friends again—but eventually Rei told her, and Minako held her, and they were unaware of Manx standing at the edge of the door, listening in on every word.

* * *

**notes** this is where things start diverging from the original version of the story. new readers, sorry if you have to put up my editing halfway through ;;;;; haha anyway, major changes = a more realistic luncheon with the takatori family, as well as weiss not taking any of minako's or rei's bs.

anyway! thank you thus far for reading! :D xo


	5. 04: elle vient et va

**chapter four: elle vient et va  
**"Ouka-san, who is she?"

Ouka lifted her head up, staring at Omi for a moment as she pondered his question. She didn't want to say sister, even though they technically were – they had just only met. Really, the thing that had compelled her to bring the older girl to this place was mere instinct. A gut feeling, made out of sympathy. "A new friend."

"A new friend, eh?" Youji sighed, shaking his head. "Well, that new friend of yours is asleep on my bed and none of _my_ friends have called me tonight."

"Y-youji-kun!" Omi waved his hands frantically at Ouka's questioning look. "Nothing, nothing! Ah, why don't you just take Ken-kun's room? I have a spare key somewhere…"

"Is Ken on a trip?" Ouka glanced around; she hadn't seen the ex-soccer player anywhere.

"A-ah, yeah! Yeah, he is!"

"You have a spare key to Ken's room," Youji repeated, eyebrow raised. "I won't ask more."

This Ouka understood, and her face flushed. She distracted herself with taking out her phone, trying to erase the image from her mind. "Omi! Let's exchange numbers."

"H-ha?" It was Omi's turn to blush as he blinked at Ouka.

"She doesn't know my number – what if something happens, and she needs to contact me?"Ouka held out her phone to him. "Here, put it in and I'll just call you."

Youji was whistling now, peering over Omi's shoulder as the boy fumbled with punching his number. He grinned as Omi threw him a half-irritated look and shrugged innocently while backing away. "H-here, Ouka-san."

"I'll call to check up on her tomorrow," Ouka smiled. "Thank you."

With her exit out the door, Omi dropped into the nearest chair. "That girl…"

"Hmm? Ouka? Or the other one?"

"Don't you guys think we've seen her before?" The youngest frowned, digging into his memories. "Maybe a mission, or a customer?"

"Omittchi," Youji said, having found his cigarettes and sticking one in his mouth, "she's just a girl."

"But Minako-san knows her!"

"Minako probably knows a lot of people."

Omi paused, glancing upwards at the change in tone. "Youji-kun?"

"It's nothing, kid." Youji patted his head absently, despite the protests. "You seen my lighter?"

"Minako-san took it, she said something about burning letters." Omi gave a start when Youji starting heading towards the back exit. "Don't interrupt them! What if they're sleeping?"

"I'm just getting my lighter, Omi."

With that, Youji left through the back entrance. He quickly crossed the lot, feeling a drizzle falling from the sky. Up the stairs he went to the flat building, briskly walking past the numbered doors. He clacked a knuckle against Ken's door, muttering, "I'll be back for you," before passing Aya's. He climbed another set of stairs before pausing.

Down the hall, the girl Ouka had brought was closing his door behind her softly. Either she was oblivious to his presence or ignoring him; she stepped over to the balcony-like ledge, leaning against it and peering out over the shop. The rain had started to pour down a little more heavily. Youji swept his hair out of his eyes, making his way towards her.

She glanced at him for a brief second before turning back to her view, presumably dismissing him as another apartment resident. Instead he approached her until they stood side by side; he too followed her lead and looked over the shop. Youji could feel her gaze slide back to him, and he met it with a light smile.

"Yo."

Her curiosity was replaced with an almost haughty look as she turned back away. Youji, slightly amused, pushed his hair out of his face again; it was starting to stick to his skin.

"Here, have my jacket."

"What?"

She was looking at him incredulously, and Youji winked. He pulled off his jacket, holding it out to her with a grin. "It's raining, and you're wearing all white. A woman can't walk around looking like that."

She blinked and had the grace to blush, embarrassed. She mumbled a quick small thanks, shrugging on his jacket and looking away from him; it dwarfed her, and Youji almost laughed.

"So, why were you and Ouka all dressed so fancy?" He peered at her, voice teasing. "Life of the rich and famous?"

She 'hmph'ed, and Youji blinked.

"No?"

"If only it were that easy to describe." She was pulling his jacket closer to her, shivering slightly. The rain fell on both of them, sliding down their cheeks and hanging off the ends of their hair. "Minako's sleeping."

"In my bed?"

"Yeah."

Youji paused then remarked, "You seem to have cheered up quite quickly."

He didn't miss the momentary darkening of her face. "You think?" A thoughtful expression quickly replaced it. "I don't think it would've been considerate of me to keep bawling like a child when she started crying herself."

"Minako?"

Her eyes pierced him, and Youji found himself lost in violet. "I'm not going to ask what happened. It's not my business." Her pride was returning; he could see it. It gave her a determined light, one he saw reflect in Aya's at rare moments. "Look after her for me."

"Look after her?" He frowned; just how much did she know?

"You're Youji, right?"

She broke eye contact and he stared back over the shop with her. "Yeah."

"Look after her."

It was his intuition that made him do it. Her commanding voice, her relaxed posture, the way she looked so small in his jacket – _his_ jacket, one that _she_ liked so much…

"Asuka," he said, and he pulled her to him.

There was a brief moment in which they both stood there, frozen and cold, their bodies both wet from the rain, his arms wrapped around her. She was, for a single instant, embraced by this stranger – and then she pulled away, and he reached out before stopping himself.

"I –"

"You –"

They lapsed into silence, staring at each other. He didn't know what brought him to do it; she couldn't understand why she didn't shove him away at first. The rain pelted them, suddenly growing in strength as the wind blew sideways. They stood there still, unwilling to look away, unwilling to break apart from familiar determined eyes and familiar warm arms.

"Youji-kun, I thought yo – oh!"

They turned away from each other, focusing instead on Omi. He was still in apron, holding an umbrella above his body. For a moment he looked uncomfortable, as if he'd interrupted something; then his eyes fell on her and he started. "You're soaking wet!"

"Thanks, Omittchi, nice to know you care," Youji drawled. He walked to his door, watching as Omi fussed over the girl like a mother. He rested his hand on the doorknob. "Oi, what's your name?"

She didn't even look at him, staring instead at Omi with focused intensity. "Rei."

He nodded. "I'll remember that." Then he turned the knob. It rattled. "The hell? It's locked?"

"That's what I came up for," Omi explained, handing Rei the umbrella and rummaging through his pockets. He produced a single key, giving it over to Youji. "You forgot the key to Ken's room."

"I want to get in _my_ room," the lanky man grumbled before snatching the key and stomping down the stairs. That left Omi standing by Rei; he turned to see her still looking at him.

He smiled. "I'm glad to see you doing better, although you're soaking wet. What were you two thinking, standing out in the rain?" He shook his head. "You'll have to get dry before you leave; you're welcome to stay the night in Youji's room with Minako-san."

"What's your name?" her voice was guarded, trembling a little. Omi blinked.

"Tsukiyono Omi," he replied, and he didn't miss the quick look of shock flitting on her face. "Ano…?"

""It's nothing. I – my family, when we were little, used to go to this place, Tsukiyono, it – ano, thank you for the offer, but I actually shouldn't stay." Rei pulled Youji's jacket closer to her, holding the umbrella out to him. Omi frowned, shaking his head.

"You're friends with Ouka-san and Minako-san," he said tersely. "I can't just turn you out like this."

"It's my fault I got like this in the first place," she mumbled. Omi laughed, taking the umbrella and leading her down the hall.

"Don't worry about it, please. I told Ouka-san I'd make sure things went fine." He stopped at his door, fishing in his pockets for his keys. He opened the door, reaching a hand in to flip on the lights. "I – ano, I don't mean to be so forward, but I have some extra clothes you can change it."

"It's fine. Thank you."

There was a comfortable silence as Omi rummaged through his closet, looking for something appropriate. Rei stood off to the side, away from the door and by the window, watching him. There had been no differences in his character from her vision to real life; he still wanted to help, still wanted to make sure that everyone was comfortable. He didn't seem much younger than her – possibly a year or two. And yet it was as if he was trying to take everyone's problems into his own hands.

"Here you go. The bathroom's by the sink, but it's a bit small, sorry about that."

She took the clothes he held out, smiling. "Thanks, Mamoru."

"You – ano, what?"

Rei froze mid-step, dropping the clothes. Quickly she scrambled to pick them back up again, hiding her face from the boy. She'd called him Mamoru, her little brother, her little _dead_ brother – what was wrong with her? She hadn't even thought of him once before her father came back into her life, and now she was running around calling his name. She mentally berated herself, fighting the impulse to just run and leave.

"Sorry," she managed to say at last, still not facing him. "It slipped. You remind me of my brother."

"Oh." Omi paused, staring at her back. "It's fine. I'm flattered."

Rei kept quiet, disappearing into the bathroom. Just then, a sharp knock snapped Omi out of his thoughts; he opened the door to see Aya. The older man had a dark expression on his face, and, to Omi's confusion, carried his katana in one hand.

"Birman was just here. Where is she?"

"Aya-kun, why do you have –?"

Aya's eyes bore into Omi's, disapproving, disappointed. "I'm not going to kill her."

At once Omi felt guilt flood his body. He wrung his hands, upset "I'm – I'm sorry, it's just that you never… the katana's with you, and – well, I…"

"It's fine."

Omi stepped aside, still apologetic, allowing Aya to come in. He watched the red-head glance around discreetly, eyeing the wet spots on the carpet.

"Birman was here?"

"She just left the shop. New mission." Aya glanced backwards at him. "Where's Aino?"

"Sleeping. In Youji-kun's room."

"Why?"

"I –" Omi blinked a few times, glancing at the back of Aya's head. "I don't know. Why –?"

The door to the bathroom opened and Rei, decked in a pair of Omi's shorts and Ken's old hoodie, froze at the sight of Aya. She looked between the two, recognizing immediately the tension upon her arrival. She cleared her throat uneasily, but didn't say anything about the matter.

"Thanks, Tsukiyono-kun." Rei paused, walking to where she'd left her heels and picking them up. "I… I should be going now."

"What's your name?"

At Aya's sharp voice, Rei frowned. She stood up straight, placing her hands in the pocket of the hoodie. "Ta – Hino Rei."

"How do you know Aino?"

She turned around, facing him, eyebrow raised. "We're friends. Good friends, in fact." A pause. She could play his game, if he was so inclined. "How do _you_ know Minako?"

Aya narrowed his eyes the slightest. "She works at the shop," he said, lips barely moving.

"I'm surprised you hired her. She's a downright klutz." Rei cocked her head to the head, ignoring Omi's sudden startled movement. "Unless there's another reason why she was hired…?"

The tension thickened as the two glared at each other, similar violet eyes meeting and clashing. Omi, in the background, was fumbling with the umbrella. As much as he wanted to stop their argument, he knew Aya had his reasons. They all had their reasons – they just didn't act on them as much as the red-head.

"Sorry," Rei said finally, the words seeming to choke on her – obviously a sting to her pride. "I didn't mean to come here and start something."

Aya remained quiet, though his glare softened just the slightest.

"No, no, you didn't start anything at all, Rei-san! Don't worry!" Omi held up her wet dress, suit coat and Youji's jacket. "I can dry these for you fine, if you want."

She seemed to be smiling a lot around him – her lips quirked upwards. "Ne, Tsukiyono-kun, you really seem to be the ki –"

_She swiftly ducked behind the counter, feeling ice take over her veins. There had been something in that dart – a tranquilizer? But she wasn't getting sleepy; she was shivering as she fumbled with her gun. The clip slid out with a clang, and the noise intensified. She grabbed her head with one hand, trying to reload to gun with the other._

"_I know you're in here, ma chérie. It's no use hiding."_

_That voice was distorted, alien-like – she ignored the pain in her head, picking up her gun. Carefully, carefully she crawled to the side, aimed and fired three times – all shots missed. She slipped away from the desk, moving towards the open door._

"_You can't get far. The drug will soon take its toll on you."_

_Her foot slipped and she knocked over a trash can. She could hear him whirl around, firing aimlessly. It didn't matter; she was out the door and flying down the steps. The sounds of ricocheting bullets followed her, and all she could focus on was sound._

_Her footsteps._

_The bullets._

_His screaming._

_She shoved open the emergency exit, took one step and faltered back. Blindly she gripped the door handle; there was no solid footing outside of the exit. Just a fire-escape ladder, creaking ominously._

"_Ma chérie, oh ma rose, __où __êtes__-__vous__?"_

_A random shot, out of pure glee._

_She hesitated half a beat before hooking her feet onto the one of the steps, clinging to the top rung. And she let gravity take over, felt the world slide by as the ladder descended towards the ground. There was a screech, ringing in her ears like metal, as he leaned over the edge and saw her disappear from his grasp. Weakly, wearily, she lifted one arm up – a wave, a mockery, the faintest smirk on her lips._

_Then the ladder reached its limit and she was jolted to the ground._

_She paused, fighting to stand up – her leg screamed, her mind screamed, her heart _fought_. She managed to drag herself out of the building vicinity, limping down the sidewalk. His shouts soared behind her, and she ducked into the next building._

_A warehouse._

_Her vision blurred – by tears? by the drug? – and she collapsed. Her fingers were still moving, still able and she was pulling herself along the ground. She wouldn't die, not here; she had someone to protect, promises to keep –_

_The world turned black._

_The creak of an opening door met her ears._

"– ei-san! Rei-san! Aya-kun, get me a wet cloth – Rei-san!"

She was kneeling on Omi's floor, breathing heavily, tears falling out of her eyes. His hands were around her, trying to get her to stand, to move towards the bed; blindly she covered her face with her own hands, wiping the tears. Her head ached, and she was cold.

"Rei-san, are you alright? Can you stand?" Rei took a deep breath, willing herself to look at him and smile, albeit somewhat shakily. "Thank you – I – I need to go, I –"

The katana in Aya's grasp caught her eye. "I need that."

There was a struggle as she leapt towards him, her hands tugging the weapon away. Aya fought back, locking one of her arms behind her; she stepped on his foot, clawed his face and broke free. Omi, alarmed, had unconsciously slipped one of his knives in his hands. He stepped forward. "Rei-san!"

"I'm sorry! This is – I'll return it! Sorry!"

Her heels were on, and she flew out the door, into the rain. Without a second thought, Aya ran after her, Omi only trailing seconds behind.

**xxx **

Her feet were guiding her, and blindly she followed. She turned corners she never knew existed, ducked into alleyways that had no dead-ends, and stepped foot in areas she never would have looked at twice otherwise. Her heart thumped against her chest repeatedly; she couldn't tell whether it was from intense running or the fear creeping in the back of her mind. _Please, please please, be alive, be _alive.

She stopped, her heels scratching against the ground. For a second she leaned over, hands on knees, catching her breath – then the images flashed before her eyes again and she slammed open the heavy door to the warehouse.

The first thing Rei saw was pitch-black.  
The first thing she heard was a pathetic, weak scream.

"Makoto!"

"Qui est là?"

There was rapid firing; Rei ducked to the side, flinching as one barely grazed her arm. She clenched her teeth, covering the torn spot in the hoodie, feeling a wetness slowly build up.

"Qui est là?!" the voice repeated, angrier. Rei heard the footsteps approach slowly, nearing her spot – she took her chance and leapt out of her hiding space, tackling the offender. He struggled but lost his footing, falling down in a clump. The bullets fired once, twice; then the gun clicked uselessly. Rei pressed the katana, still in its scabbard, at his neck. She opened her mouth to speak; he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked, throwing her off balance. The katana was out of reach; her knees scraped against cement.

"Another one to play with?" He tsked, standing up and reloading his gun in smooth movements. "Takatori sent you here also?"

Rei's breath caught in her throat, and she glared up at him. "What did you just say?"

"Vous avez beaucoup de courage!" the man was laughing now, looking down at her through slitted eyes. "Mais vous êtes jolie – trop jolie." The barrel of the gun was pointed directly at her forehead. "Next time Takatori sends his spies, tell him to be more careful."

There was a split second in which Rei worried for her life and acted on pure instinct. She shoved the man's hand as he clicked the trigger, felt the heat of the bullet soar just centimeters from her face, heard the impact it made with the ground. She twisted the automatic deftly from his hands; it slipped out of her grasp, but her hands were at his neck.

"_What are you talking about_?"

The man grinned and spit needles at her throat. Rei cried out, feeling the burn at her neck. She fell back from him, clutching at her throat with one hand while fishing in her pockets with the other. After a moment, after he had grabbed his gun and twirled it recklessly on his fingertips, did she realize that she was wearing borrowed clothes – her ofuda were gone.

"Quel est la problème?" He once again took aim, and she once again faced life in front of her. "Such a shame, the pretty ones cause all the trouble."

He fired; she was thrown back, the bullet hitting her shoulder. Faintly Rei heard a rustle; Makoto was trying to move, trying to get to her. _No_, her mind firmly said, and Rei obeyed.

The man fired again; she narrowly avoided it and lunged forward, feeling a rush of heat gather at her hands. There was a howl – through her blurred vision, she saw flames singe his hand, forcing him to drop his weapon. He reached into his coat pocket, bringing out an array of needles; without hesitation he hurled them at her. They stung her face and she fell back down.

He was approaching her now, his face full of rage. "What did you do?" He kneed her in the stomach held her down by her throat. "What did you _do_?!" Her hands were shaking as he squeezed.

Rei brought her left hand up and dug her nails into his skin. He howled, throwing her head back against the cold floor. She winced, closing her eyes – and then his hands were no longer at her throat. Gasping for air, she leaned on her good side – and froze upon hearing something splash and drip onto the ground.

A moment passed. Then Rei opened her eyes, watching _that man_ pull his weapon from the body. She pushed herself to her knees, one hand on her shoulder, the other fumbling for her phone.

Makoto was reaching towards her with a hand, breathing shallow. Rei grasped it with her clean hand, using her pained one to dial the numbers. She held the phone to her ear, watching Makoto drift into a fitful sleep. Sweat coated the brunette's forehead, and she frowned. _Mako-chan… What did you get yourself into?_

"What do you want?" the nasally voice on the other end whined, and Rei focused.

"No questions. If you can, look into my mind – find where I am. I – there's someone injured, I need to –"

The phone fell to the ground with a clatter as the katana was brought at her throat.

"Who are you?"

Violet met violet. Rei faintly noticed someone else in the background, checking on the man. She didn't know why, but the sight of it brought a smile to her face, one the other pair of violet eyes narrowed at. She tried to stand up, hand pushing the blade away; her knees buckled and she fell back down.

"Why did you come here?"

"He –" it hurt to talk. Her throat burned. "Mako-chan – I – he was –"

She cut herself off, weary. No doubt the contents of her stomach were fighting her body. Her eyes watered again as she tried to swallow; he was still staring at her, his gaze as harsh as it had been earlier.

"I'm sorry – for taking – sorry."

The katana returned to her throat. She feebly pushed it away again, attempting once more to stand up. She was balanced, although wobbly – the pain in her shoulder intensified, and her head felt like it was splitting. She willed her eyes to stare back into his.

"You have my eyes."

And the pain took over.

**xxx**

Schuldig hung up the phone, dumping the coffee into his mug and stirring in a shot of vodka. "Crawford," he sang, clearly amused.

"What is it?" Crawford folded his newspaper, glancing at Schuldig with a raised eyebrow. The German smirked.

"Our little pyrokinetic," he said, "had a rendezvous with the kittens."

Crawford seemed to regard this for a moment before a smile took over. "Is that so?"

"She's down at one of the old warehouses. Bleeding all over the place."

"Why don't you go pick her up?"

Schuldig threw the man a dirty glare. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that neighborhood with the kind of car I have."

"Of course," Crawford said. "I suppose you'll tip off the eldest Takatori, then?"

"Hmph." Schuldig walked back to his drink, rolling his eyes. "If that's what you want – you do know, though, how she feels about you."

Crawford was silent to that, and Schuldig smirked again. "Well then. I guess we let the games begin."

* * *

**notes** lolol oh youji you make me so sad. ;( 

my nub francais, for reference:  
ma chérie, oh ma rose, où êtes-vous?: my dear, oh my rose, where are you? (formal)  
qui est là?: who's there?  
mais vous êtes jolie – trop jolie: but you are pretty – too pretty (formal)  
quel est la problème?: what is the problem?

yay for mako-chan!  
yay for not-so-subtle hints to romance!  
yay for schuldig's not-so-subtle hints to romance!  
boo for the lack of any mention of farfarello in this chapter. ;(

thank you for reviewing; you guys are lovely.  
thanks for reading!


	6. 05: waking up & smelling coffee

**chapter five: waking up & smelling coffee**

Kino Makoto opened her eyes and found that she couldn't move her left leg. She frowned, willing it to slide over to the side as she sat up. Her right leg was working fine; she couldn't understand why the other one wouldn't just _move_. A growl escaped her throat as she slammed her fist into the bed, annoyed.

"Ne, it's not good to strain yourself when you're so injured."

It was then she noticed a boy around her age standing on the other side of the room, buttoning up his shirt. He was smiling, pointing at the bandage on his cheek.

"I found out the hard way."

With that, he turned back around, packing something into a bag. He was humming under his breath, most likely oblivious that she could hear him. The sound flowed to her ears, pleasant, soothing. Then he dropped an object that clanged loudly as it made contact with the floor and she winced. Cursing, he swooped down to retrieve it, giving the startled girl a rather a nice view.

She blushed, ducking her head back down.

"Who are you and why are you in my room, although I'm not complaining, I'm just wondering!"

The young man blinked, whirling around back to face her. "Ano, you're in a hospital."

Makoto froze for a moment before realizing that she was, indeed, in a hospital. She glanced down at her left leg; it was bandaged heavily, though not in a cast. With a little more effort than she was used to, she forced her leg to move. It ebbed to the side, and Makoto threw aside the white blankets.

"I wasn't kidding when I said that!" The young man rushed over to her, worried. "Listen, the doctor lady will go crazy if she finds out, you don't want to—"

Makoto ignored him, her cheeks still pink as she tried to stand. Her feet touched the cold, tiled floor and she steadied herself. He looked like he wanted to help, but stayed where he was.

"Thanks for the advice," she murmured, glancing away, "but I'm fine. I—"

The door swung open, and all Makoto saw was a puff of blue before she was lying back down in bed.

"What the—who—what—"

The boy was backing away now, giving her an apprehensive _I-told-you-so_ look. She glared half-heartedly at him, trying to swat away the doctor all the while. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I just need to go home and rest, I—"

"Mako-chan," the doctor said evenly, grabbing her hand, "don't be ridiculous."

That voice was extremely familiar. Makoto glanced away from the other occupant of the room, gaping at the 'doctor lady'. She lifted her index finger, as if an idea had just struck her. Deep blue eyes smiled as the 'doctor lady' took a step back, her long skirt swirling around her legs.

"Ami!"

"Lie back down, Mako-chan, you're still injured."

Behind them, the young man was gaping, indignant that Makoto hadn't gone through the yelling and needles that he had.

"Ami, what are you doing here?"

"I volunteer here sometimes." Mizuno Ami had the grace to blush as she tucked her hands in the white coat she wore. "I-it's been awhile, and I know that it would have been better if we met under different circumstances…"

"Ami-chan," the brunette grinned, emerald eyes sparkling, "it's great to see you again."

Ami smiled genuinely, nodding. "Mm!" And then she whipped her head 180 degrees, the kind look wiped off and replaced with a stern glare. "Hidaka! You are not ready to check out yet; please return to your bed!"

Hidaka nervously rubbed the back of his neck, grinning. "Aw, come on! I feel just fine. And I have a job to get back to, my co-workers are expecting me. And—"

"Your co-workers have already been informed of when you'll be released," Ami countered, her hands on her hips. Makoto blinked, watching her usually shy friend reprimand the patient.

"—and I have kids to teach, I teach them soccer, you know? I can't let them down—"

"_Hidaka_."

Hidaka heaved a sigh of defeat, looking Ami in the eyes. "Please, Mizuno? I really don't wanna let these kids down."

There was a complete silence as Makoto whipped her head from Ami to Hidaka, watching as if it were a television show. Hidaka was smiling slightly, his hands on Ami's shoulders as he pleaded silently. Makoto leaned forward in her bed, trying to catching sight of Ami's face—and she almost choked with disbelief.

Mizuno Ami was beet red, flustered, glancing everywhere except at Hidaka. She abruptly pushed his hands away, coughing and turning around, oblivious to Makoto's restrained laughter. "Hi-hidaka, you know I can't, it's against the rules and I'm not allowed to discharge patients—oh, but the children—I understand they're very important to you, but—oh, alright go ahead just make sure you're bandaged up properly and—"

She cut herself off, covering her mouth with her hand, mortified. Makoto sputtered, her good mood disintegrating. "A-ami! What about me? Why can't I go?"

Hidaka merely grinned, shaking Ami's hand profusely. "Thanks, I appreciate it! Oh, and I hope you can check out soon, too, miss. Both of you stop by the shop if you can and we'll give you some flowers if you need any—thanks again!" He slung his bag over his shoulder effortlessly before merrily making his way through the door.

"A-_mi_!" Makoto stood up from her bed again, the movement in her left leg easier with practice. "You know as well as I do that I don't need to stay here!"

Ami cleared her throat, busying herself with fluffing Makoto's pillows. "Now, Mako-chan, I understand you want to leave, but you need to rest. Hidaka has been here for nearly two nights now, and he—"

"Hidaka Ken!" Makoto pointed her finger at Ami suddenly, gaping. "Hidaka Ken, wasn't it?"

"A-ano," Ami turned to her friend, eyes widening. "Yes, how did you –?"

"Ami, Haruka and I are like his biggest fans! Oh my god Hidaka Ken was just here, Hidaka Ken was _in my hospital room_ –" She cut herself off suddenly, lunging forward and grabbing Ami by the shoulders. Ami swallowed nervously; the glint in her eye eerily resembled Minako on an idol hunt. "Where did he go?"

"His—his job, he works at a flower shop, Koneko—"

And Kino Makoto was out the door, her leg still bandaged and feet still bare.

Ami blinked a few times before recovering and running after her. "Mako-chan! You're not properly rested!"

The other workers at the hospital were sorry they didn't have a camera on hand as she passed by. A shot of the refined volunteer Mizuno running wildly after a patient would have been good blackmail to have handy in case another late shift was assigned.

**xxx**

"_Aya-kun, how is she?" Worried blue eyes glanced backwards at the somber red-head, who frowned. Omi removed his fingers from the man's throat; the pulse had died almost as soon as he had fallen. "Aya-kun?"_

"_She's alive." A pause. "Omi."_

_The blonde crossed his arms, taking a deep breath. "I know that's what we _should_ do – but she saved the other girl's life_—_and, well, I think we should tell Manx. Let Persia make the decision."_

_Aya locked gazes with the younger boy. "That man was supposed to be our mission for tomorrow night."_

"_I know." Here it was Omi's turn to frown as he brought a hand to his lips, thinking. "Do you think maybe Minako-san told her?"_

"_Aino_—_"_

_Omi cut him off and answered his own question with a shake of the head. "No, it's not possible; Minako-san seems to know more about Kritiker than she lets on, she wouldn't jeopardize the mission."_

_Aya moved quietly, checking on the other girl. She was breathing heavily, one hand holding a knee protectively. She seemed to sense Aya's presence with her eyes closed; almost jerkily she leaned back on an elbow._

"_Who_—_are you?" Her breath hitched for a second. "How do you know Minako?"_

_At this Omi paused, glancing over at her. He seemed to recall something; a look of comprehension dawned on his face. "Aya-kun, we need to get her to a hospital_—_preferably the one Ken-kun is staying at." He looked over at Rei, opening his mouth to say more, but the door to the warehouse creaked open._

_Immediately the two ducked into the shadows, leaving the wounded where they were. An older man stumbled in, frantic._

"_Rei! Rei, are you in here? That man said_—_oh my God, Rei!"_

_He rushed forward upon spotting her still form, shakily supporting her body as he checked her pulse. After making sure she was indeed still alive, he let out a relieved sigh and made the sign of the cross in the air._

"_You're alright, you're alright… Rei, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?"_

_She didn't._

_His eyes watered the slightest as he hoisted her up, carrying her out. He hadn't taken a second glance at the other woman, who was trying to stand up. As soon as the doors closed, Omi ran forward, helping her._

"_We'll get you to a hospital_—_don't try and strain yourself. It's okay, we work for Persia."_

"_How_—_how do you know_—_?"_

"_Manx gave me some files about a week ago. Don't try to talk, can you walk?"_

_Aya came to her other side, taking her arm and wrapping it around his shoulders. Wordlessly he moved forward; Omi followed just a step after, mirroring his actions. They once again opened the doors of warehouse; the sun blinded them momentarily as they stepped out._

"—amn, she's been knocked out since last night."

"You'll wake them."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to ruin _such_ a cute scene."

"Go to the kitchen and stop Farfarello before he tries to cook again."

"Wha—_again_? Damn!"

The sound of a door opening greeted her ears, and Rei continued to lie there, eyes closed and breathing slow. Her body ached; she could feel what she hoped were bandages on her face and neck. She tried moving her shoulder and found that she couldn't feel it; that brought a frown to her lips.

"Anesthetics." Crawford's voice. "For the surgery."

Her eyes shot open and she leaned up somewhat, her left hand clenching around something warm. Rei glanced quickly at Crawford, startled, before looking to the side.

Nagi, his head resting on her bed, was slumped in a chair, eyes closed and hand clutching hers. She felt a sigh escape her lips as her other hand slowly moved (despite her shoulder being numb) to brush his hair from his eyes.

"How long was I—"

"Since nine o'clock last night."

"What time is it now?"

"Almost ten thirty."

"...ugh."

An almost comfortable silence fell between the two as Rei continued to focus her gaze at Nagi. Crawford sat in his chair, patient, watching her. Beyond the door, the faint sounds of pots and pans clanged, as well as Schuldig's brutal threats and Farfarello's languid disregard for them. She let her hand fall back to her side, feeling the pain slowly drift back into her shoulder.

"I had surgery?"

_More like Farfarello dug in your shoulder for the bullet._

Rei tried not to grimace. _Out._

_So_, Schuldig said—telepathated? —_what makes you so special? The kid wouldn't let any of us touch you after he healed you up and shit._

_He can heal?_

_The kid can melt your skin together, yeah. I_—_Shit! Farf!_ And his presence left her mind.

"I'm sure Schuldig has explained the details."

"More or less. Tell me why Kino Makoto was working for my father."

Crawford seemed to have been expecting that question. He posture straightened just the slightest and he folder his hands over his knee. "She was a spy, sent by Kritiker to infiltrate the information bureau."

"Kritiker?"

"The people who are trying to hunt down your family."

Her eyes sharpened and she looked at him, frowning. "Do you expect me to believe that?"

Crawford merely smiled. "If you believe in the truth."

"Did you kill ojiisan?"

"No, I did not." She opened her mouth again and he interrupted. "Neither did Schuldig, Nagi or Farfarello."

Rei relaxed somewhat at that information as her eyes fell back on Nagi. Her gaze softened and she smiled.

"I don't trust you—any of you—yet."

"I would not expect you to."

Their eyes met again. Downstairs, Schuldig threw a chair at Farfarello.

**xxx**

Hidaka Ken had been dispatched from Kritiker's hospital, and, after a deliberate walk around the block to clear his thoughts, he was met with an unusual sight waiting for him at _Koneko no Sumu Ie_.

A girl was standing on a ladder, staring at the spot their sign had previously been. She seemed to be oblivious to his presence as she stood there. Ken noted curiously at the cans attached to the bag slung around her shoulders. Spray paint?

"We're not open yet," he said, and she fell off the ladder.

Ken mentally thanked the old coach for training him so hard when he was younger. Practice used to go on until at least three members of the team vomited from excess exercise and lack of food, and Ken had been one of those three at least half the time. But by the time the season had started, his reflexes were quick and he had the speed of—well, a tiger.

He caught the girl before she hit the ground, and looked down at large violet eyes.

"Hello," she said, and Ken blinked.

"Ano, hi."

He set her on her feet, and she promptly dipped into a bow. "Tomoe Hotaru."

"A-ah… Hidaka Ken," Ken stammered as he clumsily tried to imitate her bow. Hastily he straightened up, aware of the raised eyebrows thrown in their direction.

"You know my cousin," Hotaru said straight-forwardly, and Ken blinked again. She smiled and pointed at the spot she had been staring at. "I was spray painting that."

"Spray painting?"

"Mm!" She unclipped a canister from her bag and thrust it at him.

Ken paused, turning the can in his hand. Now, he knew he wasn't a genius like Omi, nor did he have Aya's uncanny yet perceptive eyes, but he knew how to read. And the label clearly had directions on how to properly spray paint—the first rule was about safety. _Always wear a mask_.

"Where's your mask?"

"Mask?" The girl's eyes narrowed as she turned to face him.

"Um," Ken said, "yes?"

"In here." Hotaru reached in her messenger bag, withdrawing a proper mask—one that looked clearly unused.

"Um." Ken hesitated. "You know you're supposed to wear it… right?"

"No," she answered, smiling and putting the mask back in her bag.

"Oh. Okay." Ken stared at her; she stared right back, her eyes still wide. "Um. Did Aya or Youji hire you?"

"No," she replied matter-of-factly, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh."

She beamed at him before turning back to the ladder and fixing her foot upon it.

"Why are you spray painting the shop then?"

"Birman asked me to." Hotaru missed a rung and fell forward, bumping her chin on a step. "Ow."

"Birman?" Ken reeled back, wondering why on earth Birman would hire a teenage girl to redecorate their shop sign.

"She said she was your boss." The girl decided to sit on the step as she rubbed her chin with a pout. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

Ken stood and stared at her some more. She blinked at him again. Eventually he sighed. "No, I haven't eaten breakfast yet."

If the girl was hired by Birman, then Birman was going to be angry if she ended up dying of starvation. And although it was highly unlikely that this girl was going to die hungry, Ken fished out his keys and unlocked the garage door into the shop.

"You hungry? Omi probably cooked something up…"

He pushed the door open and took her arm, leading her inside. Ken didn't really trust her to walk on her own; she was practically high from spray paint fumes.

"Wow." Hotaru raised a finger and pointed at the counter.

"What's wow?" Ken curiously glanced over at the counter—nothing special. A cash register, some flowers. Youji's half-assed job of wiping it down with the rag. He sighed once again, leaning over to wipe off some of the dust with his sleeve.

"Never been in a flower shop before." Hotaru shrugged, helping herself to a seat by the table. The second she sat down, the back door burst open and Minako was there, glowing as the sunlight shone behind her.

"Ken you're back! I'm so glad! Hey, if Youji comes looking, tell him I was _never here_. Well it was nice seeing you, I've gotta get to class, bye!"

And she barreled out the front door. Ken stared at the spot she was just standing at, rubbing the back of his neck, confused. He glanced over at Hotaru after a moment and blinked again; she had slumped over on the table and fallen asleep. Scratching his cheek, the ex-soccer player straightened up and took an apron from the rack. Might as well start his shift.

"Ken-kun!" Omi called out as he also came from the back room. "You're back! How are—was your trip?"

"My trip? What are you—ohhh, my _trip_. Yeah, it was a good one."

"I'm glad." The younger boy smiled brightly and rested the several bouquets he had. "Listen, something happened yesterday—Aya-kun isn't here, so I need you to take his shift."

"What?" Ken looked up from the bouquets, scowling. "Why can't Youji do it?"

"I—We'll tell you later, just—if Manx comes, don't mention it—anything." Omi hastily retied his apron, apologetic. "I'll stay until lunch."

"What's at lunch?" Ken asked, all his anger forgotten as he snagged a rice ball from the plate on the table.

Omi sighed. "I have a test. I figure that they'll let me take it if I show up, even if I'm not there for the morni—Hotaru-san?" He blinked rapidly, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Ken, what's she doing here?"

Hotaru stirred the slightest in her sleep; she wiped at her mouth, but other than that made no movement. Ken turned his back on her, trying to suppress his guilt for eating when she could have been hungry. It was her loss; s_he_ was the one that fell asleep, after all.

"I found her in front. Birman hired her to paint or something."

"What? But—she's got school!"

"Is she in your class?" Ken glanced back at Omi, curious. "She looks younger."

"She's a year behind," Omi sighed again. "Ken I can't believe you let her stay, she should be in class right now!"

"Hey, she's not wearing a uniform so I didn't know!" He took another big bite, walking over to the door and flipping the sign to 'open.' "Are you gonna let her just sleep there?"

Except when he turned around, Omi was no longer standing in the shop and Hotaru was missing. The back door swung on its hinges and Ken shrugged. It wasn't like customers were rampant on a school morning. He made his way back to the table, sitting across from Hotaru had been and smiling at that spot.

"Well it's lucky that I found her and not Youji," he said to himself, and then he had a good quiet laugh. "Ha ha ha oh I wonder where Omi went to."

"I saw him run into his room with a girl," Youji drawled as he slinked into the shop. The door clanged behind him and he ran a hand through his hair before tying is back. "I hassled him a bit about it, and he got a little ticked. Our little Omittchi's finally becoming a man, eh?" A pause. "D'you eat all the breakfast?"

"It—I—wow," Ken said, his eyes wide. "You—you're actually _awake_ at this hour, I can't—oi!"

Youji reached over and grabbed a random rice ball. He pulled the nearest chair back noisily, fell into it and thumped his elbows against the table top.

"Youji," Ken said flatly. The older man waved his hand in response. "That one was for Aya."

"Eh?" Youji lifted his face, biting into the ball with a less-than-interested look. "You can tell?"

"They have our faces on them," Ken said, and Youji sat up straight, turning the rice ball in his hands. Two purple circles glowered at him and he let out a whoop, peeling off the red jelly on the top.

"Omi's outdone himself this time!" Chuckling, he took another bite out of the Aya rice ball. "Man, Ayan sure tastes good."

Ken let his head fall into his hands, exasperated. "Youji, you—"

_Ding_.

"HIDAKA KEN?!"

"Mako-chan, you're not—oh!"

"Why did you drag me back here I need to get away before I—aaarrrgh!"

Ken and Youji both turned to the shop entrance. The brunette that had been in Ken's hospital room was wide-eyed and pointed straight at him, jabbing her finger in the air repeatedly. Her other hand had a death grip on Minako, who, at the sight of Youji, screamed and tried in vain to shake her off. Dr. Mizuno Ami was standing there, too, standing off to the side and trying to hide her face behind her hands.

"Hidaka, I'm so sorry about this, Mako-chan—Kino Makoto, she realized who you were—" Ami stumbled over her words, flustered.

"There's no need to apologize," Youji remarked smoothly, waking up instantly and sliding over to the group. Minako struggled harder against Makoto's holding, breathing heavily and sweating bullets as he neared. "Not with a pretty face like that."

"I—oh!" Ami was blushing, but Makoto shoved him aside.

"HIDAKA KEN," she repeated, and she all but dragged Minako over to where Ken was sitting. "YOU ARE AMAZING."

Ken stared at her.

"The way you see the ball before it approaches the net—the way you intimidate your foes with your fierce looks—the way the socks don't look so weird on you—can I have an autograph?!"

And Makoto conveniently held out a pad of paper and a pen, her eyes shining as she looked at him. Ken's smile twitched and he nodded jerkily and took the pen. "I—thank you?"

"Normally I'm not a fan of soccer; I usually watch judo tournaments and sometimes Taekwondo, but my old friend—her name's Haruka, by the way, she thinks you're great too! —she brought me to one of your games awhile back because she thought I needed to see an adrenaline sport and I was just so amazed!"

"Mako-chan," Minako said, her eyes wide in astonishment, "you dragged your good friend and roommate all the way here, risking making her lose credits for class and also die by a vengeful co-worker, just so you could get an autograph?" Her eyes watered. "I—I've taught you so well!"

And she pulled both Makoto and Ken into an embrace, declaring her pride at loud volume.

Behind them, Youji's eyebrows lowered. He'd just been ignored and shoved away! If it were Aya or something, it would've fine; the guy needed some ladies to admire him. But Ken? _Ken_?

"Excuse me?" Ami asked softly, looking at a group of puffy flowers and getting his attention.

"Call me Youji," he replied swiftly, catching her eye. He winked; she turned away quickly, clearing her throat.

"E-etto, this—these are camellias, yes?"

"Yes, they are," Youji said, and he reached over and plucked a white one from the bunch. He presented it to her with a casual smile. "Generally good luck gifts to men. But white camellia means you're adorable."

He face reddened even more as she took the flower from him with shaky hands. "I'd like to buy an arrangement, if that's possible."

"Oh?" Youji frowned playfully. "There's already a man in your life?"

"No, not at all, he's just a friend!" The smile that graced her face was kind, and Ami looked back up at him. "He's a good person, and he's coming back here with his fiancé for a wedding. I want to wish him luck."

"Well, that's a relief," Youji sighed, nodding. "I was scared for a moment that you were taken."

There was a loud crash before Ami could reply, and the two whipped around to see Makoto still as stone and Ken looking aghast. A vase of roses—_expensive_ roses, the kind Omi always had a hernia over—had been knocked down to the floor. The two wearily looked at Minako, still in Makoto's grip. The blonde, squirming under Youji's eye, immediately pointed at finger at Ken.

"Ken, you idiot," Youji called, shaking his head. He reached for the broom and made towards the mess. Minako watched him, her lips twisted in anguish. She wrung her hands together and, when Youji proceeded to ignore her discomfort, she addressed him.

"_You_-ji," she sang in a lightly nervous voice, "did you—ah, happen to… oh I don't know visit your room yet?"

"No," he replied casually, though he added with a sly wink, "although if you want, we can both go back an—"

"Oh _no_ that's quite alright ha ha ha! Say Mako-chan what's that on your arm?"

"Huh?" The brunette finally released Minako, glancing down at the scar on her bare arm. "This? It's nothing, just a scratch."

"It looks really bad," Minako grabbed the arm and pulled it close. "Did you get this checked out? What if it's infected?"

She missed the discreet look shared between Makoto and Ami, but Youji and Ken didn't.

"Nah, it's fine, Minako, just an accident."

"What happened?" Makoto frowned at the look on Minako's face; it was eerily reminiscent of their older senshi days. "Mako-chan."

"Do you… know what's going on with Rei right now?" Makoto ignored the startled look on Ami's face. "And—er, what happened last night?"

"Last night?" Her voice was almost sharp. "What happened last night?"

Makoto remained thin-lipped and Minako let her go. She placed her hands in the pockets of her skirt and looked over at Ken and Youji.

"What happened last night?"

Ken blinked and Youji frowned, looking at her over his sunglasses. "We have no idea what—"

"Where's Omi?" She cut him off, glancing around. "He and Aya were gone last night, and I want to know whe—"

The door chimed open. For a moment Manx looked a little startled at the sight of Makoto and Ami; after a quick second she recovered and smiled.

"I hadn't expected to be doing this so soon."

"What are you talking about, Man—miss?" Ken, still holding his own autograph, scratched his cheek with the pen.

"It's alright," Ami said softly, and all eyes turned on her. She was smiling, albeit somewhat sadly. "We know. I suppose we should formally introduce ourselves."

Minako's eyes widened and she leaned back, clutching the edge of the table and shrinking towards Youji and Ken. The former looked over at her, frowning, curious.

"I am Mizuno Ami. And this is Kino Makoto."

"In other words," Manx said, stepping forward and flipping the sign to 'closed,' "they're also agents of Kritiker."

"What?" Minako said, and the other two senshi couldn't meet her eyes.

**notes **quicker than usual update. :x ahahaha omg my own story is exciting me to type type type. but yes! onslaught of senshi! hmm. yeah.

i think i should've made the setting/situation more clear in the beginning haha. so here goes! ami has not seen any of the other senshi for about year now. mako and minako live in the same apartment building, therefore see each other every day. rei has not seen them in around two months, but they keep in contact over phone. usagi writes letters to them every week from america. cos she's in america. with mamoru. they're all around 18-19; being in the spring, rei's 19 while the other four would be 18 still. and mamoru's 22, going by the manga age difference.

outers have not seen nor contacted any of the inners since the end of stars. whiiiich would be three years.

i'm going to say this now about romance/pairings: don't trust youji. AHAHAHAHA come on. we all know how big of a manslut he is. oh just kidding; he's teh love. but yeah.

i guess it'd also be fair to say don't trust minako either.

or hotaru. puahaha.

and nagi & rei have a brother-sister kind of relationship. or kindred spirit, if you want. ahahaha aw.

anywho, thank you my reviewers. i hope this chapter doesn't disappoint; it's almost like a filler, if anything. ;(

thank you for reading!


	7. 06: faire une scène

**chapter six: faire une scène**

Makoto noted with an inward frown that Minako was deliberately sitting away from her and Ami. The blonde had sandwiched herself in a seat between Ken and Youji, on edge as her eyes fixed on Manx. The red-head didn't seem to have any intention of saying anything, though; she herself took a seat on the single armchair, crossing her legs and watching Ami.

"You two must be aware that both Ken and Youji don't also have to share their life stories?" Makoto shrugged at Manx's question while Ami nodded. Minako narrowed her eyes the slightest.

At that particular moment, the door to the basement opened and Omi was walking down the stairs. He looked perplexed at the sight of so many people in the usually less crowded room, and Manx smiled at him.

"Please, take a seat, Omi."

Wordlessly the youngest perched on a stool to the left of Ken, though the look he exchanged with the ex-soccer player was bewildered.

"Minako," Ami then began, "we were not coerced into this the same way you were. It was our choice."

Minako turned her head in their direction, but her gaze still locked on Manx.

"I was personally approached by an agent under the codename Botan. The hospital Persia personally set up was understaffed, and they found me through an old newspaper clipping." She paused, folding her hands in her laps. "It was the article on my giving up Germany three years ago."

"Dr. Mizuno," Manx said, "is the finest medical student we have."

"You're a medical student?" At this Minako fully looked at her old friend, astonishment evident on her face. "Ami… you're not even nineteen yet."

"Which is why we hold the utmost pride in her. It's so rare to have come across such raw talent." At Manx's compliment, Ami's cheeks reddened considerably. She cleared her throat, bringing the subject back and trying to ignore the sudden blank look on Minako's face.

"I've been volunteering at the hospital for a couple of months now. It was just yesterday that Makoto was brought in. As it is with you and me, Minako, I hadn't seen her in well over a year."

Youji, sensing Minako tensing up, rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She trembled the slightest under his touch but otherwise turned to Makoto.

The brunette smiled wryly, despite the circumstances. "Looks like we can still keep secrets while rooming in the same building, eh V?" She laid a hand on her injured knee, rubbing it with a sigh. "Let's see… I don't remember the name of the guy who recruited me, but – he said he could tell me some things. About… about my parents."

Minako's shoulder twitched under Youji's hand.

"So he took me to a nice café and we had a drink. He told me it had been – an arranged crash, who was behind it. All of that. Then he bought me dinner and we went back to our place – this was that night you camped out in front of the radio station, I think, Minako. You remember, the Trapnest tickets? Anyway, some guys were following us that day. They attacked us when we reached the apartment – he ended up dying trying to cover for me.

"It was actually Manx that came and found me after. She offered me this job, I accepted. I wanted to tell you, so many times, but I didn't want you to be dragged into this dirty worl—"

"What do you do?"

The question was unexpected, and Makoto blinked, glancing at Youji. "Undercover stuff. I was just positioned in the Taka—"

"You can debrief at HQ, Kino."

Makoto frowned at the older woman. "You expect me to keep her in the dark still?"

"It's fine, Mako-chan" Minako said curtly, crossing her legs. Both Makoto and Ami saw the familiar old senshi façade slip on her face. "Manx."

"Yes?"

"Please tell Persia not to involve any more unnecessary people."

Ken shifted in his seat, taking a look at her face. Her jaw was set.

"I'm the only one that owes him a favor. Kino Makoto, Mizuno Ami – he had no right to bring them into this. Tell him to leave Hino Rei alone."

Both Ami and Makoto suddenly had stony faces. Omi had started at that name, and he glanced over at the blonde. Manx tipped up the corners of her lips, looking straight back at Minako. "…I'll tell him that."

"Good." Then the blonde whipped out her cell phone and rapidly punched in numbers. The solemn look on her face intensified as she held the phone to her ear, waiting. Seconds passed, and then, "Yes, hello, this is Aino Minako, confirming the thirty-fifth spot in the Model Star Beauty competition—yes, Aino Minako—yes, yes. No, it's 35. Yes. Thank you!"

"Minako? What are you—?"

"Ami-chan! You've truly inspired me!" She suddenly leapt forward, grasping Ami's hands in hers, her eyes welling up with tears. "To have become so successful at such a young age! Rei's already nineteen and Usagi's approaching soon, and yet they haven't even touched the chart that you've made!" She ignored the suddenly confused looks around her.

"Ami-chan! I will become a top idol and I will match you in rank! To _class_!"

With a triumphant fist in the air, Minako swung her bag over her shoulder and flew up the stairs and out of the room.

Ken was the first to speak after the abrupt silence. "Ano, Makoto? Here's your autograph…"

Youji resisted the urge to smack him as he handed the notepad over to her anticipating hands. Manx, although amused by the exchange, decided not to comment on it. She looked to Omi instead, who met her gaze curiously.

"Yes?"

"Omi, keep the events to last night classified. You may inform Ken and Youji at a different time. If you happen to run into Miss Hino again, as I'm sure you will, I'm asking you not to confront her about it. Please relay this to Aya as well."

Then she handed Youji a videotape, which he accepted and placed in his bag without a word.

Makoto, in the midst of tucking her treasured autograph into her pocket, suddenly focused on Omi. "That's right, you were there as well. You and the other guy."

"I'm glad you're well," Omi said, and Makoto grinned.

"It's probably because Ami's amazing, ne?"

At this Ami shook her head fervently. "No, no, Mako-chan, you heal up very well, and there wasn't that much to treat –"

"But I got better in three days! You yourself said I looked like I was dead when they brought me in," Ken interjected. "I think you _are_ amazing, doc."

"I—well, in your case, it was—"

"Ami-chan, how about we go get something to eat?" Makoto glanced at her wristwatch, nudging the blushing girl. "I heard there's this great little café across the street; you can tell me all about cutting people open, yeah?"

She pulled the other's arm, waving at the other occupants of the room.

"Thanks again for the autograph, Hidaka-kun!"

Youji was positively glowering at him as they all ascended the stairs.

**xxx**

Rei had never had a meal under a chandelier. When she was younger, the table they sat under never had anything so ornate hanging above their heads. Her mother appreciated the more discreetly finer things in life. Like a vase of lilies or the decoration on the china. Sometimes the pastel patterns on Hirofumi's tie. Her father didn't mind back then; he loved his wife.

But somehow, along the years she had been abandoned and her mother had passed on, someone bought a chandelier and hung it over the dining room table. And then they left the house to crumble at the hands of a bunch of sociopaths.

As Rei sat at the table next to Farfarello (who was wearing an apron with a frowning bear stitched on it), she wondered why Lady Luck had forsaken her.

"It's because people with too many good things deserve a little shit now and then, Ta-ka-to-ri-sa-ma."

Oh how she hated that nasally voice.

"Love you too."

"Schuldig," Crawford reprimanded lazily as he reached for the bread.

"Che," Schuldig replied as he stole the basket before the older man could get it. "Oi, kid, where're your vegetables?"

Nagi blinked, looking down at his plate. "I think this is it," he said quietly, poking at a round blob with his fork.

"Oh. Well, eat up then. You've been looking a little girly lately."

Nagi glared up at him as he shoved the fork in his mouth. The roll of bread that Schuldig had bitten into suddenly smacked him in the face.

"You little—"

"Schuldig," Crawford said again, and the telepath rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Not my fault he's a temperamental teenager."

Rei muffled her laugh by taking a sip of her drink. Nagi frowned at her, indignant, but she waved it off, shaking her head. Her eyes then caught the character on Farfarello's apron and she smiled.

"Kuma-chan, ne?"

All eyes were on her, Schuldig looking amused and Nagi startled. Farfarello listlessly turned towards her, his single visible eye locking onto her. He held her in a stare for a moment before giving a slow nod. Then he went back to his food, peeling a grape with a knife.

Rei's smile twitched once, twice, and broke and she shuddered with a hand at her mouth. She could've sworn that the air had frozen.

Farfarello then spoke tonelessly, "I am not a car bear bear bear."

Another shiver went down her spine as she glanced at him. _He's scarier than –_ and she realized that she had nothing to compare him to. Nothing matched the vibe this man gave off. Schuldig, however, had started laughing, slapping Nagi on the back for good measure.

"Relax, he's just singing his favorite song!"

"I—I see," she said back, though she clearly did not see and scooted to the right edge of her seat, putting as much distance as she could between them. Farfarello merely ate his grape and set onto peeling the next one.

"Miss Takatori," Crawford said, "you have an appointment with your brothers after lunch." He took a bite out of his sandwich and looked at her. She was frowning.

"Can't you tell them I'm injured?"

"You are healed. Nagi made sure."

Her frown deepened. She grabbed a roll of bread and chucked it at Schuldig.

"Oi—what the hell?"

"Oh, well, looks like you'll have to injure me."

And then Schuldig raised his eyebrow, leering. "I can think of plenty of ways to injure you."

Another roll of bread smacked him in the face, courtesy of Nagi's psychokinesis.

"Oi, why is everyone throwing shit at _me_?"

"Maybe you shouldn't have drugged me up so much," Rei said surly, clinking her fork against the plate. She was starting to doubt it was anesthetics they'd injected into her earlier, what with her casual attitude around them. She had no reason whatsoever to trust them, and yet she had let her guard down several times in the half hour they had been eating. Of course, it _was_ Farfarello that had apparently played doctor when she was unconscious, so she fought back any complaint.

Schuldig looked exasperated while Nagi watched, slightly fascinated.

"Craw_ford_," the German whined, "she's being _pissy_. We don't need another kid in the house, Nagi makes up for—"

Rei smiled sweetly, pointed at him with her hands like a gun and said, "Fire soul."

There was a brief silence in which Crawford was suddenly interested (though, of course, he didn't visibly show it; he'd already known this was going to happen and just wanted to see it with his own eyes) and no one believed that Schuldig's jacket was really on fire. The man himself looked down at his chest and froze for a solid five seconds. Then he tore off his jacket in a spasm-like gesture, threw it to the floor and stomped on it repeatedly. Farfarello clapped his hands as Rei stared at her own fingers, amazed—so they weren't lying when they said she could use her powers. That made things a little more interesting.

"What the hell did you—"

Schuldig cut himself off with a shriek, pulling the remains of his jacket out from under his foot. He shook it out and thrust it in front of him.

"This was 750 pounds in London!"

"You looked like Christmas!"

"You're a crazy bitch!"

"Who are you calling a crazy bitch?!"

They were at literally each other's throats, both growling and shouting obscenities. Crawford rested his head in one hand while swirling his coffee with the other. "Nagi."

"…yes?"

"Get the car ready."

"…okay."

Seven minutes, two burned curtains, uncountable threats and numerable shrieks later, Rei was huddled in the back seat of Schuldig's car, shivering and rocking back and forth. Nagi sat next to her, patting her on the back while Farfarello, still donning his apron, stared out the window.

"Schuldig, what did you do to her?"

The German shrugged. "I guess not everyone can appreciate the beauty of seeing a mental picture of their father and oldest brother engage—"

"DRIVE."

Schuldig smirked and floored the accelerator. In the back, Rei hiccupped.

**xxx**

It wasn't every day that Tomoe Hotaru woke up around noon in a room that wasn't hers while an ache pounded her head. She sat up, sliding out from under the covers and burying her head in her hands, wincing.

The ache slowly faded away the more she calmed down. Straightening up, her hand caught on the strap of something. A quick glance told her it was her own bag. She slung it over her shoulders and made way for her shoes, leaning against the wall.

"—eah, yeah, I'll be back around six. And tell Youji-kun not to water the left ones!"

The door had opened and a boy older than her was walking in backwards, calling out to someone outside. He sighed and flicked on the lights before tensing. Hotaru was also on her guard, frowning, but he turned around and the two relaxed—somewhat.

"Tsukiyono-senpai?"

"Ah, you're awake." A pause. Then he gave a bright smile, the one all the girls in her class giggled over. "Good! Then we can both go!"

"Ano?"

"Oh, to class. I heard your year has a health examination; you wouldn't want to miss that."

Omi was already decked in uniform, and Hotaru blinked.

"What am I doing in here?"

"Oh, that—I—haha, well, Ken-kun said he found you outside our shop, and you were sleeping on the table, so I thought that maybe you'd be more comfortable…" Oh. She remembered now. Ken-kun, the nice fellow with the funny smile. But Omi trailed off, reddening at the sudden memory of Youji's teasing words. "I just thought you'd like a bed instead of a chair—I was hardly in the room—"

Hotaru cut him off with a small grin and a quick bow. "Thank you."

"You're… you're welcome."

She dug into her bag, pulling out her neatly folded yellow sweater and skirt. She never really did like the uniform. Yellow wasn't her color. "Is there a bathroom?"

After quickly changing and straightening herself out, Hotaru followed Omi down the stairs of the complex and into the flower shop. Two men were in there, bickering and jabbing each other in the chest. She smiled at the sight of the shorter one—Ken-kun, the nice one. She'd have to thank him later for helping her job go more smoothly.

"Ken-kun, Youji-kun, we'll be off now," Omi called.

"—taking all the ladies—"

"—don't care about your stupid _ladies_, she was a fan!"

"—that girl had eyes for _me_, and you—oh, chibi, leaving with your girlfriend?"

"Y-youji-kun!"

"I'm not his girlfriend," Hotaru replied politely, bowing. "Tomoe Hotaru."

"You can call me Youji," the man grinned, winking. "This buffoon here is Ken."

"Are you normal now?"

"Pardon?"

Hotaru blinked at Ken, who looked a little on edge. He stared at her pointedly, eyebrows lowered in what seemed to be an attempt to intimidate her. She merely blinked again; playing the act of being surprised, she started to bow again.

Then he thrust a plate of rice balls in her face, muttering, "Here, take one."

With a confused but nonetheless gracious nod, she accepted one.

Omi sighed, shaking his head. He opened the door, allowing Hotaru to step out first. The two made their way down the sidewalk, their bags swinging in similar motion. He checked for a quick moment his phone; he'd turned it off earlier, and grimaced to find seven miss calls. All from Ouka.

Omi regarded the girl walking beside him for a moment. Tomoe Hotaru was supposedly well off—her parents were musicians and athletes. It had been talk at the beginning of the school year that she had taken the entrance exam a year early; some suspected that it was the influence of famous parents, but most just left the idea alone and warmed up to her quickly. Polite, quiet, reserved and somewhat refined—and yet she seemed to distance herself from the other classmates.

"I hear you play piano," Omi said cheerfully, attempting to start conversation—he hadn't, in fact, heard that she played piano. He _had_ heard, however, that her parents had spent so much time with her growing up that their hobbies became hers.

"Violin, actually." She folded her hands in front of her, a slight bounce in her step. "Piano takes too much concentration."

"Ah. But what about your art? Doesn't that also take concentration?"

Hotaru's lips curved up, and Omi felt the sun shining down on his back. "Michiru-mama says it's just putting down whatever you feel like putting down. I admit, I lose myself in it sometimes—I actually can't remember what happened this morning."

Her cheeks were flushed (she was feeling slightly guilty for lying, again; on the contrary, she remembered the morning very clearly) but Omi mistook it for embarrassment. "It's alright, you can always ask Ken-kun. He was there."

"Mm."

"So why don't you join any clubs?" He didn't mean to be prying; he was just curious. He watched as her face fell for a quick moment before she recovered.

"I'm not used to being around people."

"Ah?"

"I—" she cut herself off, trying to find the words. She tapped her lip, frowning. "I guess you could say that even though everyone asks me to join—I don't really know them, and I can't help but shy away." She was blushing again, and he blinked. "I suppose I'll have to work on it."

"Ah," Omi said. So she was just shy. Not arrogant. He beamed at her. "I understand. I'm sorry for all these questions, by the way, I ju—"

"Don't worry."

They lapsed into silence once more, their feet scuffling against the pavement. Hotaru had to admit, she didn't really see anything special in the older boy. She wondered why Setsuna was so intent in finding out what he was like. The older woman had put her up to the task of getting to know him for her about a month ago; she'd said she wanted to know how the prodigy of Kritiker was holding up, hence the reason for Hotaru making up that story to Ken about painting the shop. From the months Hotaru had been observing him, he seemed to attract attention without really asking for it. She supposed it was his helpful nature. But the girls in her class didn't really appreciate helpfulness that much; poor Ukita always seemed to be shot down whenever he asked to carry Noshino's bag. Was there a different reason as to why he was so appealing?

"Tsukiyono-senpai, may I ask a question?"

"Yes?"

"May I play piano for you one day?"

Omi stopped mid-step, watching her back for a moment before she also paused, turning to face him. Her expression was genuinely curious; he couldn't be sure whether that was an innocent request or just another confession, in her own weird way. Perhaps he shouldn't have been too forward with helping her earlier? They'd never talked before, after all, just heard stories about each other...

Omi rubbed the back of his neck, nodding. "…yeah."

They started forward again, another silence stretching. Hotaru appeared thoughtful before she spoke again.

"But I don't play piano."

"I—"

"I understand." She smiled, and Omi could tell it was a bit more distant. "We're here. I hope you can climb the gates; we've missed lunch."

As Hotaru watched him throw his bag over, she frowned. She had barely met him, and already she could tell—he wasn't all that special. He just focused too much on making everyone else around him happy.

_Setsuna-mama won't be too pleased with that information_, she thought, and grabbed the metal railing and hoisted herself up.

**xxx**

Takatori Masafumi was decked out in a full-blown tuxedo as Hel ran a comb through his hair. He was quiet, frowning, and she knew better than to ask him what was wrong. There was always something wrong; he wasn't as blessed as his older brother to receive their father's favor. She gathered from observation that Masafumi had probably been close to shunned his whole life—it was in the way he sought to please his father, the way he looked like he wanted to bite off his own tongue whenever Hirofumi was praised.

"Hel," he said, and she started.

"Yes?"

"Has the test subject regained consciousness?"

"Yes," Hel said, and she placed the comb on the dresser. "He has no recollection of himself. It appears that he has undergone the same changes as the others."

"I see. And the dress was given to my sister?"

"…yes." His sister. Masafumi had confided in her earlier; she was the precious key to everything. Get the politician's votes by flaunting her around as an eligible bachelorette. Personally Hel wondered why she had chosen to live with _Schwarz_, of all people, and not her own father or brother—why the old Takatori and Hirofumi even allowed it.

Masafumi stood up, brushing off his pants. "Good. I'm going now."

"Yes. I wish you well."

"Thank you."

And with that, he left the room. The younger Takatori brother made his way down the stairs of his mansion, stepping into the foyer and greeting his brother. He made no sign of recognition of his father's bodyguards (though he noticed the one with the single eye was missing), asking Hirofumi in a falsely polite voice, "My, and who is going to defend dear father if an assassin has an attempt at his life?"

"I've stationed temporary guards for him while Rei rested up; it's safer for her to be with them than a cheap bodyguard."

"You seem to be supremely concerned with her. How is she?"

"Fine." Hirofumi frowned at his younger brother. "I hope you don't display any more embarrassing acts. She's our _sister_."

"I already told you, I was trying out some new stuff that day!" He scowled. "I'll apologize to her."

"Yes, I'm sure you will," the elder said breezily.

"And she has no idea what you have planned for her?" Masafumi's glare was met with one of Hirofumi's, just as Rei stepped out of the corner, looking somewhat hassled. Tot was tagging along behind her, giggling about something as she held a death grip on her stuffed rabbit. Schoen was not too far behind, distastefully telling Tot to hush up. At the sight of their 'papa,' the later two beamed. Masafumi grinned back more discreetly, though he was sure that Crawford —ever knowing, ever crafty Crawford—noticed.

"Rei, the dress fits you well," Hirofumi said, all hostility disappearing as he took her in his arms like a father would to a daughter. "It's a good thing we called you here early; it would've been a shame if we'd forgotten. You would've had nothing to wear tonight."

Because yes, she had forgotten all about that stupid politician's ball where she'd have to lie about her childhood to save her stupid father's face. It wasn't her fault some man had tried to gun her down the night before. Surprisingly none of her brothers had mentioned that fact, either. Evidently her sullen attitude showed, because Hirofumi quickly uneasily cleared his throat.

"Well, do you—like it?"

"I feel like I'm going to tango," Rei muttered. The dress was white, with a halter neck, an uneven bottom cut and a bare back. She'd thought the event was supposed to be something formal, where all the rich people sat around sipping wine and listening to piano. Not where she would be showing off her legs. She peeled the bandage off her cheek, wincing. It stung, and she ran her hand over her face. Thankfully no scars.

_We can tango tonight, if you want_.

"Don't be silly; you look wonderful," Hirofumi said.

_You're forgetting that I hate you_. Rei directed a glare at Schuldig, who was looking all too innocent in his white suit. Earlier she'd found it almost amusing that they were all dressed similarly—well, with the exception of Farfarello. He had refused to take off his apron, which had made Crawford lock him in the car.

"Rei," Masafumi said, stepping forward, "I apologize for dinner last night. The way I—"

"It's fine." It really wasn't, but she almost felt guilty when his shoulders sagged slightly.

And then she noticed that Nagi was looking pointedly behind her, and she turned. The blue-haired girl that spoke like she was four was smiling brightly at him, waving. Her eyes snapped back to Nagi and she almost choked on her breath in seeing the boy's cheeks turn pink.

_Schuldig, is that_—_does he_—_?_

_Oh, you want to talk to me _now_?_ She saw him smirk. _I don't know what the kid's thinking; Crawford will probably starve him if he interferes with anything._

_Intereferes with_—

_Tonight, your time with _him_ will be short-lived. Remember that._

_What are you_—_?_

_Crawford's words._

"Rei, we should get going—Crawford, thank you for taking care of her. My father's expecting you four in his office."

She found that she was reluctant to leave without them. Crawford nodded to her – that act, unexpectedly, made her feel the slightest uncomfortable – and she smiled at him faintly. Then Rei was whisked out the door, preparing for the onslaught of questions later on and the web of lies she would have to create.

**notes** i feel like a sudden wave of sympathy for masafumi. he's not that bad. really. well the tentacles make me laugh but. :x

_boku wa kuma_ by utada hikaru is the song farf is 'singing.' it's such pure crack that i honestly would not be surprised if the man himself actually liked it. oh just kidding but. even though the actual 'kuma-chan' is smiling, frowning kuma apron ftw! the actual lyrics, btw, are _kuruma ja nai yo, kuma kuma kuma_, which google informs me translates into _i am not a car, bear bear bear_. gah it's such a cute song.

honestly didn't intend for the omi and hotaru part to be as long as it did. but wait what setsuna would concern herself with omi because why? and hotaru lying to them for what reason?

next chapter will most definitely be rei-centered, with more special appearances and newcomers. yayayay. nagixtot is cute. i think i like omi's gray gluhen hair. /is shot/ ahahahah. :x

anywho, thanks my reviewers!

and thankyou for reading!


	8. 07: merry go round

**chapter seven: merry go round**

"So," Youji said to the blonde as she swung her legs back and forth, sitting on the counter, "how was class?"

"This really weird kid sat behind me today," Minako replied, looking up in thought. "He kept making excuses to touch my hair."

Youji almost dropped the pot he was holding as he looked at her incredulously. "Touch your hair?"

"He had really nice eyes, though—not as nice as yours, of course— here she looked up at him under her eyelashes and he smirked, "—but after class I accidentally tripped him and he fell down like three flights of stairs."

Interesting. He leaned on the counter behind her, taking a lock of her hair and playing with it.

"I think he's in a coma," she finished, pulling her hair from his grasp and hopping down. She turned around and faced him, elbows on the surface and chin propped in hands. "I broke your door handle last night by the way so what were you and Ami having such a deep conversation about earlier?"

Youji stared. "You—you _what_?"

She fidgeted, grinning nervously. "So you and Ami-chan! Had a nice talk?"

Right. He'd get back to her on that. "Nothing I wouldn't say to a pretty girl."

Minako lowered her eyebrows and puffed out her cheeks. "I think I'm going to watch Ken play soccer with the kids."

"Minako, you sure do know how to make a man feel jealous," he said lightly, pulling her back towards him. "Why go see Ken when we have the shop all to ourselves, hmm?"

"Fickle, aren't we?" She appeared to be stern, but the look faded away quickly to resignation when he raised an eyebrow. "But you're just too handsome; I can't—"

The back door opened and Aya walked in, carrying a large plant that resembled a tree. Minako made a fist, her face lighting up instantly.

"Aya! Let's go out to a karaoke bar tonight!"

The red-head walked right past her and out the front door, setting the plant down by a display of carnations. Minako sighed in defeat, and Youji cracked a smile.

"How long have you been working on trying to snag him?"

"Four days," the blonde said hoarsely, her eyes watering as she turned vehemently and grabbed him by the shirt. "He's putting up an unbeatable record."

"I think _your_ record is more impressive." Youji leaned forward, brushing his lips against her forehead. She squeaked, stumbled back and promptly blushed, ducking her face away from him.

"…Minako?"

"Oh _wow_ look at that plant! It's huge! Isn't is something?" she snuck a glance backwards at his utterly confused face and her cheeks reddened again. "You know I think I'll go and help Aya with that!"

And half a second later she was out the door, and Youji scratched his head. Well. Now he knew what Ken felt whenever the ex-soccer player was left out of the loop.

Abruptly he saw Omi through the window before the younger boy walked through the door. Omi looked faintly upset, but still gave a fair, "I'm back," to him.

"Omi, it's 6:02. You're late."

"Ha ha, Youji-kun," he said back. "Is Ken—"

"Teaching soccer to the kids like he's some saint? Why yes, he is." Youji watched as Omi turned on the hose, making his way to a cluster of hyacinths. "So what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Omi said, though his eyes clearly said otherwise.

"We watched the tape without you."

"Oh?"

"It's a planned kidnapping by a vengeful ex-politician. He's hired a bunch of professionals to help him. Basically we let it happen, then follow the perpetrators." Youji heaved a sighed. "There's some big rich party going on tonight with the high-class and fancy-dressed. We were planning for Minako to get in somehow, bu—"

"Youji-kun!" Omi exclaimed suddenly. He dropped the hose, rummaged through his pockets and pulled out an envelope. "Is this it?"

Youji took the envelope, reading it. "Party for Independe… Omittchi, how the hell did you get one of these?"

"Ouka-san invited me just now." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Instead of Minako, I can go in. What was the job?"

"She had a list of the target's targets, if you will. There's about four or five of them; most are a bunch of rich kids. She was planning on getting kidnapped with the rest of them and contacting us later, but it's strictly invite only." Youji glanced outside, lips curving up at the sight of Minako trying to help Aya move the tree-like plant. "I'll tell them that you'll be the one to do it. You go look at the files. They're in the back, on the couch."

"Right," Omi said, and he disappeared into the back, leaving Youji to sit on the table. Aya was now watching Minako with a wary look as she got on her knees and tried to push the plant. She ended up slipping and smacking her face on the pot. Youji crossed his arms and laughed to himself, shaking his head as Aya grabbed her under the arms and hoisted her up. The stern man pointed at the pots of roses, telling her to water those, and with a bright smile she bounded forward.

Youji ran a hand through his hair, shrugging. "Well, time for business."

**xxx**

Takatori Reiji greeted with brother with a hearty laugh and an arm around the shoulder. "Shuuichi! You've grown out that beard since last time, eh?"

"Last time being yesterday?" Shuuichi smiled at his brother, well aware of the pretenses as he held up his drink. The other politicians weren't necessarily around them; they were just watchful, eyeing the Takatori brothers with scrutiny. "What is this, by the way? Fruit punch?"

"Oh you know, the youngsters." Reiji glanced pointedly over at his eldest son, eyebrow raised. Hirofumi quickly bowed and excused himself.

"I'm surprised there are as many as there are."

"Kids? Yes, well, we all can't be single like you." He looked his brother in the eye. "Tell me, Shuuichi, why haven't you married yet?"

Takatori Shuuichi hid his face behind his drink for a moment, giving a fleeting look over at Rei. She stood by her father's side, looking almost complacent but not quite. There was an unnerved air to her posture, one directed specifically at her father. She reminded him so strongly of Kikuno; no doubt Reiji also saw it…

"I can't just get married, brother. There needs to be a good woman in my life first."

"Like how I had Kikuno with me?" Reiji raised his eyebrows, the upwards tug on his lips not meeting his eyes. Shuuichi stared back, the lightest of frowns etching onto own his face.

Then, "Even if there was a good wife, you still can't account for what your children might do."

Rei straightened up, folded her arms under her chest and said, "I'm going to get something to eat. Excuse me." The look she gave him as she left was fiery.

Reiji sighed, taking a sip of his own drink. "Must you really do that, Shuuichi? She's your niece, after all."

"Why are you letting her stay so far away from you, Reiji?" He had been curious as to why her own father let her live in a house full of men – his bodyguards, even. Reiji merely chuckled.

"She's a grown woman now, Shuuichi. If she wants to live away from her father, it's almost admirable."

They both knew it was because she looked too much like Kikuno.

Looking away, Shuuichi noted that Hirofumi was anxiously pulling a boy out of the room—Bombay? But before the police commissioner could comment, Ouka bounced up, taking her father's hand in hers. She greeted Shuuichi with a quick bow before turning to Reiji. "Papa, I want you to meet someone."

"Oh? Could this someone be a special someone, perhaps?"

Ouka's blush gave it away, but she waved her hand. "No, no, he's just a friend! He met mama earlier today—mama says she wishes you well, by the way—and I thought maybe you'd like to meet him."

"Well," Reiji said, ruffling her hair, "take me to this special boy, then."

"Papa!"

As Ouka led her father across the room, Shuuichi frowned. While Ouka was showered with love and affection, Rei had been given close to no attention at all.

**xxx**

Rei stuffed what seemed to be the thirtieth meatball into her mouth, yanking out the toothpick with unnecessary flare. The man that was approaching her suddenly veered off course as she all but glowered at him. Oh yes, the Takatori daughter was lovely, lovely indeed – just a tad bit unapproachable as she stood off to the side, eating appetizers at an alarmingly fast rate and making a stack of toothpicks on the table. In the beginning she had smiled and gracefully turned down requests to dance. She had bowed to her father's associates and blushed at the mention of her 'background story'—mentally she wondered how they would react if they knew Takatori Reiji had, in actuality, abandoned his daughter.

She returned Hirofumi's enthusiastic wave from across the room with a half-hearted one of her own. As much as she appreciated his attention, her oldest brother was smothering. Masafumi, on the other hand, had steered clear away from her the entire night; the thought didn't really bother her. It was just intriguing; hadn't he been eerily watchful the first night? She sighed, almost guilty for wanting to keep away from her brothers, but if she had to spend another minute under her father's eyes and uncle's smart attitude, she was going to lose it.

"I don't know how Usagi can do this," Rei grumbled to herself, taking another meatball. "My stomach feels like it's about to explode."

"Probably just a special talent of hers," a voice to her right said. "Would you like to dance?"

"No," Rei said automatically, but the voice was familiar and she turned to the speaker. At once she smirked. "Actually, I'm curious as to whether you can keep up."

"Is that a challenge, Rei-chan?"

Rei shrugged, tossing her toothpick onto the stack. "If you want it to be."

Ten'ou Haruka couldn't help but laugh as she followed Rei out to the dance floor. She grabbed the younger girl's hands, twirling her for good measure before settling into the waltz.

"Do you have to be so showy?"

"Michiru likes it," Haruka said nonchalantly.

"You look sharp tonight, Haruka. That white suit's nice. Like a real prince."

"It's pale blue, actually. And what, did you expect a dress? One like yours, maybe?"

"That would've been pretty," Rei said honestly, and Haruka smiled.

"Well, as a 'real prince', I'll say that quite a few men are giving me death looks. Most likely wondering how I managed to snag the Takatori girl."

"Probably was your subtlety."

"I try."

Rei sighed as Haruka twirled her again. When they straightened out, she was frowning lightly. "I suppose you want to know the whole story?"

"Heard it."

"Setsuna?"

"Michiru's mirror."

"Ah."

"You haven't told the others yet."

It wasn't a question, and Rei caught on. "I told Minako. I haven't seen Ami since her internship, and Mako—"

It never crossed her mind to find out whether Makoto was alright.

"I've heard that story, too. Michiru talked to Makoto last night; she's fine." Haruka changed pace as the song suddenly slowed, and Rei followed her lead. "I'm talking about you associating yourself with those guys."

A sharp breath, another twirl. "You know about them?"

"Yeah." A pause. "We have our own thing going on."

"You protect politicians and kill people on the side, too?"

"Something like that."

Rei missed a step in her shock and slipped forward; Haruka caught her. "Hey, hey, careful. I was just joking." She glanced around, nodding nervously at the vehement looks. "I'd say this is enough dancing, yeah? Michiru probably misses me."

She led the younger girl through the crowds, weaving in between the tables, careful to hold her by the arm and not the hand. She passed the table where one of the Takatori boys—she didn't know which one and she didn't really care—eyed her with distaste. He didn't move from his seat, however, and she proceeded on with a mock smile at him.

Kai'ou Michiru, clad in a flowing gown of deep blue, was standing by the grand piano, her Stradivarius violin at her side. To the left of her, the cluster of musicians was playing with frenzy under the direction of their conductor. A viola string snapped suddenly and the conductor threw his baton at the player, but the song still danced on. Michiru smiled as Rei and Haruka approached, starting forward to meet them.

"I was afraid for a moment that Rei had whisked you off your feet, Haruka."

"You think she looks that great?"

Rei rolled her eyes, hands on her hips, but she was smiling. "How are you, Michiru? It's been awhile."

"Yes, it has." The older woman folded her arms around Rei, pulling her into a hug. "You've grown."

"If you say so. Maybe it's the shoes."

"Haruka-papa! Did you try the appetizers yet? They're really good, I think we shou—Rei-san!"

Hotaru stopped mid-sentence and hurried forward, a plate of meatballs in her hands. She hastily bowed, straightened up and held the plate out to Rei.

"Would you like to try one?"

"No thanks." Rei exchanged a quick look with Haruka. "But you're so tall now! And that dress is really nice!"

"Setsuna-mama made it," Hotaru said, spinning around for emphasis. The bottom of the black dress floated around her knees. "She has a lot of talent. Haruka-papa wanted me to me to wear something more covered but—oh."

"Oh?"

"Good evening, Tsukiyono-senpai, Sakaki-senpai." She bowed again, her voice more subdued, and Rei caught sight of Michiru and Haruka straightening up.

"Hotaru-san, I had no idea you'd be here." Omi, with Ouka by his side, avoided Rei's gaze fixed on him. He was clad in black, his red tie matching with Ouka's own outfit. Funny, he smelled like that other guy he worked with, too. The one that gave her his jacket. She paused, momentarily ignoring the small talk – how _was_ he, anyway? Must be suffering somewhat, if he was working with Minako. She frowned, remembering her conversation with Minako in his room. Of all the men she'd picked to be seriously attracted to...

Then she noticed that Omi and Ouka were arm in arm. Oh. So they were like _that_. Cute.

"I'm playing a couple of songs."

"Oh, you're Tomoe Hotaru?" Ouka suddenly looked interested, leaning forward. "I'm glad you could make it; papa was saying how badly he wanted you and your parents to come."

Hotaru smiled and bowed again, and Haruka muttered off to the side, "Well, we badly want to get paid." Michiru lightly stepped on her foot and her smile twitched.

"Rei, I'm glad you're better," Ouka said, turning to her half-sister. "I'm just sorry we didn't spend more time together. You look wonderful, though. Papa was talking about you to some colleagues, and—"

Rei cut her off, not wanting to hear about her father. "Red's a good color choice for you. Both of you."

"Do you think so? It's not too flashy? But doesn't Omi-kun look handsome though?"

Rei glanced at him, and he met her eyes. So he did remember her. She smiled at him and he nodded, his own grin seeming a little too fixed. Well, he certainly was the fickle one. Whatever happened to the bouncy, happy, ready-to-help flower boy? _Oh. That's right. I tried to kill a man in front of him._ Or maybe it was something else; he seemed a little stiff to Hotaru, also. Didn't she see him with Hirofumi earlier, or had it been a side effect of the (quite unspiked) punch?

"If he wasn't your date, I'd probably have snatched him up," she chose to say, adding a wink to Ouka. Oh God, was she turning into Minako? Who _winked_ these days?

The pair of them blushed furiously, however, and Ouka shook her head. "It—he's just a good friend, not a date, I—"

"Oh, look, the dance floor looks kind of empty. Why don't you two go and fill it up?"

And she gave the two a push towards the middle. Hotaru was cracking her knuckles as the ensemble finished up their last song.

"Haruka-papa? My turn?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Haruka mussed her hair, and Hotaru pouted, shaking her off. "Rei, how about another dance?"

"How about later, Haruka?" Michiru slipped her arm through hers, smiling. "I'm starting to get a little jealous."

As she was led to the middle of the floor, Haruka shrugged at Rei. The priestess just laughed. Hotaru smiled brightly, sitting on the white piano bench and kicking her feet. The song by the ensemble ended and the conductor cued her with a wave of his hand; she placed her own hands on the keys and pressed.

A sudden warmth filled her, and Rei was only vaguely aware of Hirofumi approaching her, saying something to her and pulling her to a table. She smiled, bowed at the respectful looking couple, nodded her head at a joke (was it a joke? They were laughing about _something_) and shook her head at the plate of appetizers. There was something in the air—it felt ethereal, hearing Hotaru play. Almost magical.

"Rei, did you—did you hear?"

"I'm sorry?" She glanced at her brother, whose expression was slightly on edge. Then she looked at those sitting at the table, sipping their wine and looking all the part of a rich group of acquaintances. One lady was staring at her directly, eyebrows raised; Rei forced herself to look abashed, though in actuality she was almost upset at being interrupted in her listening.

"I was wondering if perhaps you would chance a dance with my son." Her lips curved up, though the expression did not meet her tone of voice or eyes. "Surely you wouldn't mind? I would hardly think that the daughter of Takatori Reiji would refuse."

Rei tried to ignore the intensity of Hirofumi's look and the faint amusement in Masafumi's eyes. She smiled thinly at the woman. "Perhaps if your son were a man, he would have asked me himself and I would not have minded."

"_Rei_!" Hirofumi grabbed her by the arm harshly, looking at once hastily to the woman. "Miss Kitagari, I apologize for my sister—I'm sure as you've heard, she's been living with her grandfather, therefore she's a bit tactless when it comes to—to these kinds of situations—excuse me."

He pulled her away, Masafumi rising out of his chair and following at the woman's curt nod. Rei opened her mouth to protest but she caught Hotaru's eye. The younger girl was looking wide-eyed and sharply concerned, her fingers resting limp on the keys as she watched Rei being dragged out of the room.

Hirofumi opened the nearest door, shoved her and Masafumi both in before pulling it shut. "_What_," he said immediately, "is _wrong_ with you?"

"Me? What's wrong with _you_?" Rei rubbed her arm, scowling. Her brother acted like a pansy most of the time, but she had to admit he had a hell of a grip. The kind that would leave a red mark.

"Do you have _any_ idea who that woman _was_?" He made a violent motion in the air, breathing deeply. "She's the head of the information department to the prime minister! We need her support if we want to win this race."

Rei kept quiet, slowly raising her head to stare at her oldest brother. Behind her, Masafumi gave the impression of being supremely unconcerned, his hands in his pockets as he looked out the impressive window. He could see the headlights of cars flashing by; night had already fallen.

"Are you going to say anything?"

Silence. Then, "Should I?"

Hirofumi whipped around at her sharp answer, grabbing her shoulders. "You messed it up, Rei! Everything! We took you back in after you disgraced our name, we _gave you back a life worth living_ and you can't even play your part? What—"

"Play my _part_?" Rei roughly tore away from his arms, stepping back. "Is that what this is all about? Accepting me back into the family so I can be a little whore for daddy and get him his precious votes?"

She didn't expect him to shove her down onto the carpet, but he did nonetheless.

"You ungrateful, _spoiled_—do you know what the position of prime minister even _means_? Or has frolicking with the trash of society left you unable to think like a proper person?"

"Hirofumi," Masafumi cautioned, unable to stay out of the confrontation. He pulled Rei up to her feet, but she was hardly paying him any attention. Her gaze was locked on Hirofumi, who turned to him, eyebrow raised.

"You think you have room to talk? After the fiasco your new drug caused? Don't make me laugh. You're a complete failure yourself."

That shut him up. Whatever sympathy Rei had gained was lost in an instant.

"Rei." His tone was forcibly softer, calmer, and Hirofumi rested his hand on her shoulder again. "Please, go back out there and apologize."

"Don't touch me."

Her voice was ice. She pushed him aside, ignoring his state of shock as he cradled his somehow burned hand.

"Rei—"

"Don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't even approach me. I have no relation to you and I never want to see you again."

Masafumi watched with almost bated breath as she made her way towards the door, pulling it open with rigid composure.

"Where are you going?" he asked, and she halted in her step, but only for a moment. Then, without a word, she disappeared through the doorway and made a left. Hirofumi was still standing there, stark still, as if he couldn't believe what had happened. Masafumi sighed, rubbing his temple with thumb and forefinger before saying to him, "You really messed this one up. Father will be pissed."

Rei disregarded the startled looks cast in her direction as she flew down the stairs and past the entrance hall. The double glass doors were just a few meters ahead; she was going to leave, get away from the hell of a mess her family was turning out to be. It was almost embarrassing, the prestigious Takatori clan having the problems that they did. She could hear someone calling her name—Masafumi? Hirofumi? Maybe even Ouka? And although she would've liked to stop and say goodbye to the younger girl, she kept on.

Her hands pushed the door open effortlessly and she welcomed the cool breeze that brushed against her as she stepped out. She was almost dancing down the stone steps, her arms weightless by her side. The music from the spectacle inside was flowing out; she vaguely wondered if Michiru and Haruka were doing a duet. It sounded so. The piano and the violin complemented each other too well for it to be played by any others.

"Rei-san!"

She paused, recognizing the voice and half turning, but didn't dare look in case it wasn't true, in case her ears were betraying her.

"I thought it was you! I saw you with Haruka-san earlier, and I—well, I got jealous again—oh I'm so sorry Rei-san was that too forward of me? I must be a gentleman! Mother says I have no tact at all even after staying at a shrine."

She faced Kumada Yuuichirou as he brought his hand to his forehead, exasperated with himself. Her hands here shaking; the last time she had seen him, he was heading towards a car—a _limo_, and his finely dressed sister was looking up at the shrine steps like it was diseased. She remembered him saying he didn't want to leave, didn't want to be away from her – a confession if there ever was one from him. And she had hit him with the broom, tucking away her own feelings and telling him not to be stupid, not to disobey his parents' orders. She remembered sitting in front of the fire for hours on end, not sleeping, not trusting her mind to not pull up his face at night. It had been her mistake to let him go, but there he was, standing in front of her. His hair was a lot shorter, his eyes brighter than she recalled—but he was still smiling at her. _For_ her.

He hesitantly took one of her hands in his, looking very much like a little schoolboy with a crush. "It's just that I've—I've missed you, and I couldn't stop thinking about—you're probably going to hit me for saying that, aren't you? But—"

Rei cut him off, grabbing him by his tie, pulling him forward and kissing him. He was shocked, frozen for a moment before he melted in, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. The warmth of his arms flooded through her body, blanketing and enveloping her. It was a bittersweet moment; she was well aware (though not expecting) of the tears starting to run down her face.

Then he pulled back abruptly, turning around and wiping at his face. "This is embarrassing; I'm crying, what kind of a man am I? I must be strong for Rei-san!"

Rei touched her own face and realized that the tears she felt were his. She stared at his back, blinking at the ruined moment—and then she was laughing, doubling over and holding onto his arm for balance. He was bewildered, flustered, but he held onto her, supporting her.

"Rei-san? I—was it that bad? Am I that bad?"

Rei smiled up at him, taking a hold of his tie once more. "Kumada Yuuichirou. If your filthy rich parents ever tell you to go back home again, please, for my sake—don't."

Yuuichirou smiled down at her, opened his mouth—

_Tonight, your time with _him_ will be short-lived._

—and then the ground shook and they were thrown off balance as a portion of the building behind them collapsed. Yuuichirou was still holding onto her, shielding her with his own body as the glass doors shattered and rained on them. Heat seared from the entrance, and there were masked men suddenly pulling him off her, tearing him away.

Rei scrambled to her feet, tackling the nearest one and smashing his head onto the cement. Yuuichirou was calling her name, telling her to run, to be safe; she ran after him, not willing to let go again. One of the men swung his arm at her. She ducked and made a fist of her own, but a cloth was pressed against her mouth and she inhaled.

Rei struggled to keep open her eyes as she was hoisted onto a back, struggled to keep Yuuichirou in her sight, but another explosion shook the area and she was thrown into black.

**xxx**

To say that the surveillance van was cramped was an understatement, especially with the bags of food Minako had brought along with her. Aya had initially refused to let her in with the bags she held (the idea of even bringing soda to a van full of expensive equipment was ridiculous), but Youji and Ken had both praised her eagerly as they dug in, finding snacks and sandwiches. At the red-head's glare, Youji shrugged.

"We're going to be camping out while a bunch of rich folk eat their cheese and dance to bad music. Might as well have food."

Aya grunted and placed the headphones over his ears, adjusting a knob on the system. They could be childish all they wanted. He wasn't going to join in. Minako marveled as she observed the inside of the van, her eyes roaming over the equipment lining one of the sides

"This is some pretty fancy stuff."

"Omi's the only one that really uses it." Ken helped himself to a sandwich. "We only have audio; no visual. Couldn't find a place to stash the cameras."

"I see," she said, and sat down next to him, avoiding Youji's speculative eyes as she hummed a little song to herself. Ken had to remind himself that she was just another teammate and that Sailor V had disappeared almost seven years ago. He had to remind himself that years ago, when the news announced that she had died in an explosion across seas, he had gotten rid of every Sailor V memorabilia he had. Even so, with her sitting so close and slapping him on the back for every funny thing he tried to say, it was hard not to forget.

An hour, three minutes, seventeen cans of soda and two bags of chips later, Minako sat up from her slouched position and pointed out the front window, face lighting up.

"It's Rei!"

Youji was suddenly interested. He was a bit put off by Minako's abruptly shy demeanor around him for the past two hours, but her raven-haired friend would most certainly put his mood back in its place. He too glanced out the window, whistling appreciatively as he caught sight of her. "Man she looks real good tonight." He missed Minako's apprehensive glance back at him.

"Youji," Ken grumbled, pushing the older man back, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't lean over me to fawn over a girl."

Aya was glaring at them (again), and Minako noticed. "Sorry. You have to understand, I haven't seen her in about a month. It—Yuuichirou?!"

It was her turn to lean over Ken, stepping on his hand in the process and smushing his head against the window as she tried to get a better look. "Oh my god it _is_ him! His hair's all gone! Oh my god!"

"Mi-minako," Youji said exasperatedly as his ears rang, "don't… don't just suddenly shout things like that."

Minako ignored him, unexpectedly letting out a loud whoop as she fell back and pumped her fists in the air. "She made the first move! Rei made the first move, finally! Poor Yuuichirou's crying, I don't blame him at all, he's been by her side for _five years_ and she never gave him a real answer—oh how sweet is love at such a young age!"

She sniffled, hands at her chest, and Ken twitched from under her.

"Aino," Aya said, his voice dangerously low, "keep your voice down, or—"

A deafening noise cut him off and a great tremor ran through the area. Ken, upon pure instinct, flipped Minako under him. Youji ducked low, his hands over his head, and Aya dropped to the ground, sliding open the van door with one hand while shielding himself with the other.

"Get out of the van, find cover!"

Aya didn't have to repeat himself. Youji was out in a second, ducking behind far away cars with his wire ready. Ken took a little more caution, making sure that his claws didn't touch Minako as he pulled her out of the van. The blonde herself was shaken, but her eyes were fierce and together the two darted across the parking lot. They slid behind the entrance sign, slipping their ear pieces in.

Aya's orders were to sit and wait. Minako clutched onto his arm, and Ken glanced at her.

"I don't like this," she said as she watched Rei being carried off. He hesitated; the fire was all too reminiscent of his own memories, and, even though he had never met this friend of hers, he could easily tell it was a close relationship – the kind that maybe came from years in each other's presence, the kind that made him think of Kase.

"I don't either," Ken replied, and he wished he hadn't because the smile Minako gave was almost tragic.

**notes **i like yuuichirou.

wow what outers? what are they doing here? how do they know stuff? is the plot thickening?! (/lame)  
ahahahah. but aw ew youji and minako. cooties! i doubt it'll last. youji's the ladies' man and minako's the mens' lady. such complicated relationships. aheeng.

omi makes me sad in gluhen. ;(

mucho thanks to my readers,

bigger thanks to my reviewers. /loves/


	9. 08: il est mon frère

**chapter eight: il est mon fr****è****re**

Two explosions were apparently all that was needed for the kidnappers to get their job done. It was a full five minutes of apprehensive waiting before Aya finally gave the order to regroup in the van. Aside from a chunk of cement that had smashed the windshield, the van and its costly equipment was mostly undamaged. Immediately Aya began typing away, adjusting his ear piece with one hand as he did.

"Omi's unconscious," Youji surmised as he also listened. "He would've said something otherwise."

"Are we sure he's even with them?" Ken glanced out the broken window, glowering at the sight of the evacuating people. "He could still be in there."

"No," Aya said, "his position is moving."

True to his word, the green blinking dot on the screen was gradually moving farther and farther away. Minako frowned, biting her thumb as she watched the dot move. That was supposed to be _her_, not Omi. _She_ was supposed to have been bait. It would've been easier, more convenient. What on earth had made the boy want to take her place?

"What's that noise?"

"What noise, Ken? People screaming for their lives?"

"Shut up, Youji, I meant that beeping. It's coming from…"

Abruptly Minako whirled out of her thoughts, scrambling to her purse. She hadn't heard it earlier, but that beeping now rang in her ears, loud and urgent although it was faint in actuality. She dug in the bottom of the purse before pulling out a watch. Her old communicator.

She flung it open, and Uranus's face came into view.

"Venus," she said, "I have a helicopter ready for you. Bring the whole motley crew. Around the left block, top floor of the Carlton. Five minutes."

And the screen turned to static.

Minako didn't hesitate; she pulled her henshin pen from her purse, raised it into the air and called out, "Venus Crystal Power, Make-up!" The familiar sensation of light surrounded her in rings, and seconds later she was skirted and high heeled. If circumstances were normal, she would've laughed at Youji's open mouth and Ken's bright red face (and maybe even Aya's slighty widened eyes, if she felt reckless enough) but Uranus had warned her—warned _Venus_. Five minutes.

"We need to go," she said sharply, and without waiting she was out the van. She could hear the hasty scrambling behind her; good, they trusted her. And hopefully, she could still trust Uranus.

**xxx**

"Hotaru," Uranus called over her shoulder, "make some room."

The petite girl did so without complaint, pulling her coat over her dress just as Venus slid into view. She was panting, the rush from the rotors blowing her hair all over. "Uranus!" she cried out as her companions appeared behind her, on edge with their weapons.

"Get in!" The older woman flicked a few buttons on the dashboard; the rotors spun faster. Venus didn't hesitate. She pulled her comrades into the helicopter, telling them it was alright, Uranus knew what she was doing. Hotaru silently watched them as they piled in; it would be rather cramped, but they would all fit.

Ken sat next to her, and immediately his eyes widened. "You—Hotaru!"

"Hidaka-san," she greeted. "How've you been since this morning?"

"What are you—where –?"

"Marine Cathedral." Hotaru looked curiously over at Aya. The red-head was holding onto his katana defensively, glaring at the back at Haruka's head as they took off. "Getting there by helicopter is the fastest way."

"How do you—?"

"I guess I should tell you now. I've been lying to you—Tsukiyono also." She raised a hand to the side of her cheek, bowing her head. "I hope you forgive me. I purposefully gave Tsukiyono the impression that I have no memory of this morning—but I do. And it was all an act."

Ken was still, staring at her, but his eyes were slowly smoldering. Venus was frowning, but Youji was too busy looking down anxiously at the ground below them to truly care.

"I sincerely apologize. I never meant to involve you, Hidaka-san. It was just coincidental that you were the one who saw me before Tsukiyono could."

"Who are you?"

That was Aya. Ken didn't trust himself to speak.

"Tomoe Hotaru," she said, ducking her head. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Hotaru," Uranus said through clenched teeth, "there are times when being polite is unnecessary."

"But Michiru-mama says if I don't be careful, I'll turn out like you."

"Sh-she said that? Really?"

"Hey," Venus said, interrupting them, "what do you guys want with Omi?"

"Information." Hotaru paused, worry inching into her expression. "I hope he doesn't think I'm a horrible person when he finds out."

"Information for what?"

"For Pluto." Hotaru folded her hands on her lap, looking back to Ken. "Hidaka-san, I really am sorry."

Ken merely grunted and turned the other way. He therefore missed the slight sag of Hotaru's shoulders, but Youji was keen enough to notice. He almost reprimanded Ken (even if she was a liar, she was still a little girl), but Venus opened her mouth to speak again.

"Why are you helping us, Uranus?"

"They have Neptune."

Venus apparently hadn't expected that; she closed her mouth, leaned back and kept quiet. Hotaru glanced over at her, her head cocked to the side as she studied the senshi. "It's nice to see you again, Venus."

Before she could reply, Uranus cut her off. "Hotaru, get ready."

The small girl smoothed out her lab coat. "Fujimiya-san," she said to Aya, and he tensed, his grip on his weapon tightening. "When the helicopter lands, the men will ask who we are. At this point I will step out and I'm requesting that you come with me."

"What? No," Venus argued, "Uranus, you're agreeing to this?"

"The Marine Cathedrale is still under possession of my father."

"You fa—"

"We're here," Uranus said sharply. She put the helicopter into descent, looking back at the others. "This doesn't mean that we're on your side, Weiss. Remember that."

"The feeling's unanimous," Youji replied, grinning at the irritated senshi.

**xxx**

Hotaru waited until the rotors had stopped whirring before she stepped out of the helicopter. The first thing to greet her eyes was the towering walls of the cathedral. The second thing was the half circle of men surrounding the helicopter, their firearms ready. Hotaru sucked in a deep breath, glanced back at Aya (who had followed her without a word) and stepped forward.

A shot penetrated the ground just centimeters in front of her foot. Aya started to pull his katana out; Hotaru motioned him with the slightest flick of her hand to stop. She kept on forward, instructing him nonverbally to follow.

Another shot stopped her in her tracks and she frowned.

"Stop where you are! State your name and business, or we will shoot!"

"Please don't shoot." Hotaru stepped forward again, ignoring the way the men glanced at each other. She could easily see they were wondering why a teenage girl just came out of a helicopter.

There were more shots, this time dangerously closer than before. "_State your name and business_!"

"I said _please_," she grumbled, stepping over the spot they had shot at. She took in a deep breath, finally meeting their gazes, knowing that her own was quite cold.

The look in their eyes seemed to stop the designated leader of the bunch. The men hesitated, making faces at each other awkwardly, and Hotaru led Aya to just beyond them, a couple of steps up the stairs. And then she looked back at him, nodding politely. "Now would be a good time, Fujimiya-san."

Wordlessly, Aya unsheathed his weapon and, in one smooth movement, struck down the nearest two men. Hotaru herself picked up a dropped pistol; she avoided a parade of bullets, ducked behind a startled man and clapped him over the head with handgun. He dropped down, and the shot he fired imbedded itself in his comrade rather than Aya.

Ken and Youji had tumbled out of the helicopter by then, and she pocketed the pistol, letting them do their work and finding refuge behind a short pillar. After all, it was what Setsuna had intended. She, Haruka and Michiru were only to play as assistants in this round, helping them complete their mission. It was only a stroke of bad luck that Michiru had been taken captive during the explosion...

The last of the men were down. Uranus and Venus were running towards the only entrance, the former barking orders at the other three. Soon they were all sprinting through the entrance, the darkness of the corridor closing in on them. Venus then brought a hand to her lips and kissed her fingers; a bright, glowing heart rested in the palm of her hand.

"You can use Love and Beauty Shock like that?"

She shrugged at Uranus. "Never tried it before. I'm guessing as long as no one else touches it, it's fine."

And then they were off again. Uranus seemed to be leading the way, her pace only matched by Ken. Aya and Youji were not that far behind, with Minako at their heels. Hotaru noted faintly that with every second that passed, she seemed to be trailing farther and farther behind. The light in Venus's palm was slowly getting dimmer—she tried to pick up her pace, but a cold feeling filled her. Something in the back of her mind was telling her to be wary...

And then Ken was there, his breath a little heavy, but he seemed fine otherwise. He held a gloved hand out to her, helping her straighten out. "Come on," he said, "you can get on my back."

Hotaru stared at him.

"Hurry up!" He didn't mean to be so testy; Youji had given him a weird look earlier for going back. Apparently the older man hadn't noticed the lack of the sixth member of their temporary team. As much as he didn't want to lag behind—as much as he didn't like her for lying to him so easily, for deceiving him—Ken couldn't just leave her there.

Hesitantly, Hotaru climbed onto his back. "I'm sorry. Thank you." He gave a noncommittal noise in reply, hoisted her up higher and darted off again. It wasn't long before Venus's light reached them; the group had stopped. The path was split three ways—the half-opened doors in front of them leading into the main hall, a smaller door on the left and a path off to the right. Uranus had her eyes closed, fists clenched and shoulders shaking. Aya seemed to be leaning towards taking the right path. He started walking, but Venus grabbed his arm, shaking her head. Youji looked back at the footsteps and raised an eyebrow at Ken carrying Hotaru, but wisely said nothing.

"What are we doing just standing here?" Ken wasn't sure why he was so irritated. He hefted Hotaru up a little higher; she was starting to slip. The girl gave him a small, "Shh," right into his ear. "She's thinking."

The short sword in Uranus's hand started to glimmer faintly. The tall woman opened her eyes and went off to the right. Wordlessly Venus followed. Ken didn't hesitate; he flew after the others, his speed still gaining on Uranus even with the girl on his back. It vaguely reminded him of soccer camp; he always had to carry Kase while running laps.

Uranus stopped hastily in the middle of the corridor. She held out a hand, tilting her head; Aya mimicked her. Then, after hearing the faintest echoes of footsteps, he said flatly, "They're coming in our direction."

"We need to split up." Uranus frowned, pointing at Aya and Youji. "You and you, go with Venus down this hall." She pulled open the nearest door, revealing a staircase leading down. "You and Hotaru come with me."

She was sending Aya, Youji and Venus down to meet those footsteps. Ken scowled, slouched under Hotaru's weight. He made to protest, but she was already hurrying again, her own footsteps becoming echoes. "Damn it!"

The other three were already down their designated path. The light slowly faded; they were clothed in dark again. Ken started to move, but he felt Hotaru slide away from him. "What are you—?"

"It's fine, Hidaka-san." He could faintly make out her form bowing. "I'll be alright. Make sure Venus doesn't make a speech when you find your target, okay? The Guardian Senshi tend to do that."

And then she was gone.

Ken sighed, having half the mindset to follow her, but his instincts told him Omi wasn't that way. He heard the distinctive _schwing!_ of Youji's wire being unraveled. Without a second thought he hurried to the battle, snapping his claws out.

**xxx**

It was too quiet for Rei's tastes.

For the past half hour she had sat in the dark, knees curled up to her chest, staring at her dress. It was the only thing she could even remotely tell that existed in the dark; the white looked like a milky grey in the shadows. There wasn't any point in trying to find where she was; she couldn't see anything, hear anything, _feel_ anything except the cement under her body.

"Rei," a voice called to her abruptly. She narrowed her eyes. "It's me. Hirofumi."

She responded with silence.

"I can get you out of here; they listen to me—just please, tell me you'll reconsider."

Was he the one that arranged all of this? It was a bit extreme if that was the case.

"Rei. I know you're there."

But how would he know if she were conscious? After a dragged out silence, his footsteps faded away, ascending up. So she was in a lower level. Not like the information would be really useful; she felt like she was trapped in a twisted version of death. It was too cold, too dry, too quiet.

"This place still has its same aura."

"Michiru?"

"Yes. I think I'm in the same cell as you. Can you not produce a light for us?"

Rei had forgotten, and she wondered how Michiru knew. Clenching a fist, she furrowed her brow, concentrating. A small spark flickered before a flame consumed her hand. The heat was warm, welcome; she brought her arm up, letting the light flow through.

Michiru—no, Neptune sat a good distance away, watching her mirror. She murmured a distracted yet nonetheless grateful 'thanks,' her focus pulled into her talisman. Rei sighed, relief washing over as she made her way towards the older senshi. They seemed to be in some sort of old fashioned jail cell. The walls were bricks of solid stone, but the bars that held them in appeared to be steel. Rei paused. The cell across from them was empty.

"Rei," Neptune said, "do you feel something from this place?"

"…no," Rei answered honestly.

"I don't either." Neptune frowned, looking up. "It's as if death itself has consumed this castle."

"Neptune?"

"You should transform." She held out her mirror, tilting it so the younger girl could see. "Uranus and Hotaru are on their way."

Rei hesitated, taking a glance. She could faintly see the two dashing in the dark. The Space Sword seemed to be glowing. Was it tied to the mirror? She shook her head, the fire in her hand extinguishing, but instead of replenishing it she thrust her hand into the air. "Mars Crystal Power, Make-up!"

She had missed the feeling of fire surrounding her body. The moment lasted too brief as the flames died away, licking at her heels before disappearing out of sight. Mars shivered despite herself and produced another flame, greater than before.

"We should blast through these bars."

"I was thinking the same." Neptune stood up, raising her arms above her head. "Deep Submerge!"

"Fire Soul!"

Both attacks rushed with each other towards the bars, and collided with a slam. The bars gave way in an instant, spilling to the floor in a loud clang. Mars cursed; she could already hear the—guards? enemies?—whoever they were, they were hurrying down.

"Mars," Neptune said gravely, "I hope you do not have a problem with killing." And with that she let another Deep Submerge plow through the already gathered men. The water rushed over them, freezing their bodies and cutting off their air supply. Mars froze, watching the spectacle with wide eyes; she was vaguely aware of Neptune taking her by the arm and pulling her through the mess.

"We need to hurry."

"R-right."

Neptune pulled her up the stone steps, their heels clacking against the surface of the ground. Mars was strongly reminded of the Nehelenia incident, when they had been all split up. Back then, they had been forced apart; now, they had chosen to pursue their lives in different paths. She wondered if it was mere coincidence that brought the Outers back into her life, or if it had been a stroke of fate.

_They haven't changed_, she surmised as she watched the back of Neptune's head. Neptune's instinctive nature was still sharp, sharper than her own. But while three years ago she would've had envy of the older woman and doubt at her own abilities, Mars only felt gratitude.

"Where are we?"

"Marine Cathedral." Neptune paused, glancing around. "It appears that we're underground."

"Marine Cathedral?" The fire in her palm flared. "But I thought—"

"This is no longer a church, Mars." Neptune started forward again, following the left path. "The underground cell room we were in and the tunnels we're in now were added. We've been keeping track of its construction for about a year now."

"Why?"

"Your brother, Takatori Hirofumi, has been plotting this with two other men for some time now. He staged the bombing tonight. By kidnapping people important to key figures and using a pseudonym, he's able to persuade politicians over on to his side."

"Hirofu—"

"It was Takatori Reiji's idea," Neptune said, and she tugged Mars over to her. The wall that the red-clad senshi had just been standing in front of blasted away, crumbling to pieces. The dust settled around them, and both senshi covered their mouths in fear of inhaling the age-old rubble. After the mess cleared, Uranus and Hotaru climbed through. Upon spotting Neptune, Uranus immediately locked her hands on her shoulders.

"I will kill that man for bringing you here."

"I'm fine, Uranus. Leave it to them."

"No."

"You shouldn't be so rash in front of Hotaru-chan."

"I'm not being rash, I just—"

"Where is he?" Mars brushed off her skirt, her patience wearing thin. She appreciated the fact that Uranus and Hotaru had gone through so much to find them, yes, but apparently her brother was the reason she was there in the first place. Neptune paused, exchanging a quick glance with Uranus. The blonde frowned and shook her head just the slightest.

"A group of assassins is on their way to Takatori right now." Neptune looked at her. "We can't let you get in their way, Mars."

"Where is he?"

"Mars," Uranus said, placing a hand on her arm. "It's his fortune to die tonight."

"_Where_," Mars repeated flatly, "is he?"

"The entrance to the secret side room to the grand hall." Hotaru fiddled with the pistol she had, not meeting the eyes of her guardians. "It's some ways from here taking the main path, but there's a shortcut through this hole we just made."

With a quick nod, Mars disappeared through the makeshift path. Uranus and Neptune exchanged another glance, more meaningful than the previous one. It seemed as if a brief, wordless conversation passed between the two before they addressed Hotaru.

"Why did you do that?"

Neptune's voice was not scolding; on the contrary, it was soft, albeit somewhat reprimanding. Uranus herself kept quiet, crossing her arms and pouting almost. It was her own way of trying to imitate a regular parent's expression.

"Hotaru? We agreed that Takatori Mamoru would be the one to –"

"Telepath-san just asked me now as a favor to tell her." Hotaru looked down at her feet, clasping her hands behind her back and looking all the part of a guilty child.

"Telepath-san? You mean—?"

"Tell that bastard to get out of your head!" Uranus scowled, wanting to grab Hotaru and shake her, as if that would draw 'that bastard' out. "Tell him I'll kill him if he doesn't!"

"Now that's not very nice, is it, Ten'ou-san?"

Schuldig himself emerged from the shadows, looking spectacularly amused as he eyed the three up and down. He wore a bright red coat in place of his old green one; the color, amazingly enough, didn't clash horribly with his hair. Nagi and Farfarello, still clad in their white tuxedos, trailed behind, both with expressions of utmost boredom on their faces. Upon their arrival, Uranus flipped the Space Sword in her hand and pointed it at Schuldig. Neptune sighed, bringing a hand to her head, preparing herself for the confrontation.

"Get the hell away from us."

"Uranus, be nice."

"But Neptune! You remember what he did to Setsuna that one day!"

"Yes, I do, and we've been fully compensated."

"It's not like he meant it!"

"Ten'ou-san, that just hurts my feelings." Schuldig smirked, raising an eyebrow at the infuriated blonde.

Uranus took a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was rigid and controlled, as if she were fighting the urge to take her sword and stab him right then and there. "What do you want?"

"Nothing with you. Just here to enjoy the show." Schuldig stretched his arms over his head, yawning. "Her first kill isn't supposed to actually be so soon, but with the circumstances, I thought I'd see if I couldn't push things my way a little."

Neptune noted that Nagi was looking a little discomforted. "You mean for her to kill her own brother?"

Schuldig merely smiled. Cursing, Uranus darted off into the hole in the wall, stepping over fallen chunks of stone. Neptune paused to give the German a cold glare before following after the other senshi, taking more care and time into her footing. The remaining girl left in the tunnel stared at the three Schwarz members with rather large, violet eyes. Schuldig took it upon himself to break the silence.

"Why aren't you all sailor senshi like them?"

"Haruka-papa lost my henshin wand." Hotaru then bowed, smiling lightly. "It's nice to see you again, Schwarz-san."

Schuldig couldn't help himself; he started laughing. He always liked how she referred to them as one being.

**xxx**

When Ken caught up with the rest of his teammates, Venus let go of the glowing heart in her hand. It slammed into one man, throwing him back into the wall as the heart burst into a cloud of light. He slumped over, unconscious, and Venus blew another kiss. Ken had taken a second to watch the exchange; it was almost awe-inspiring, the way a small thing like that could take out a single man.

"Siberian!" Aya.

"Yeah," Ken called back, ducking a clumsy swing from a man and swiping at him with his claws. He threw himself into the fray, where Aya was impaling one after another after another. More ducking, more lunging, more digging his claws into bodies; he hardly noticed the man creeping up behind him. Only a second too late did he turn around.

Ken hastily brought up an arm, hoping it would somehow shield him from the shot. It never came; at the last second, the man was jerked back, his face turning purple before he slumped over. Youji retracted his wire, throwing Ken a quick, almost annoyed look before slinging another body into the air. "Always counting on me to bail you out, huh?"

"Shut up, Balinese," Ken said good-naturedly as he swung his arm at a man about to fire at Youji. The older man rolled his eyes, flinging out his wire again and tugging hard. The last man fell, the wire around his neck, as Aya swung his katana in one smooth motion. Then, with a nod to the other three, Aya ran forward again, stepping over the fallen bodies. Ken was first to follow after, and Youji trailed after. He paused, glancing back at Venus, who had stopped to retrieve a pistol from a fallen man. Then she straightened up, brushed off her skirt and fell in line.

The first intersection they came upon diverged to the left and right. Ken, eager to get moving, suggested that they split up. He received a negative response; Aya flat-out ignored him, Youji bluntly said no, and Venus closed her eyes. She folded one arm across her chest and tapped her forehead, frowning.

"Right, I think," she said finally. Aya looked at her, and she smiled sheepishly. "Did I mention I've been here before?"

"Why right?" Ken, impatient, sighed at Youji's question. He hit the wall with a fist, just for the sake of doing _something_; Youji shot him a dry look and he promptly ignored it.

"We passed the main hall when we entered. There was no one in there, so I'm guessing we're headed for the grand hall instead." Her frown returned, old memories of running down the corridors coming back to her. In fact, the very place they stood at had to be the spot where she and the other Inners had been stuck to the ground. Venus rubbed her backside, remembering the feeling of Sailor Moon jumping on it. "She's gotta lose some weight."

"What?"

"The right!" Venus said hastily, covering up her slip. And then they were moving again, running and passing small passageways. Soon the large, ornate doors were in front of them, and without a moment's hesitation Ken pushed them open. They creaked as they fell apart, and the two beings in the grand hall whirled around at the disruption.

Takatori Hirofumi's eyes widened at the sight of four individuals with blood on their outfits, none of which being the standard bodyguard uniform. He raised his pistol, firing once, twice, three times before realizing they were no longer standing in the doorway. Then he felt a sharp sting on his arm; looking down, he realized there was a wire wrapped around it. "Wha—?!"

Tsukiyono Omi, the other original inhabitant of the grand hall, took out a knife and swung it upwards. The wire snapped almost immediately. "Run!" he said to the older man. "Get out of here!"

"Omi, what the hell are you—shit!" Youji flung out his wire again, trying to get the fleeing man; Omi pulled out an array of darts let them fly, deflecting the wire. Ken was half running towards Hirofumi and half hesitating; what was Omi playing at?

"Hurry up—oniisan!"

Silence.

Aya, in pursuit of Hirofumi, stopped dead in his tracks. He glared sharply at Omi, disbelieving. The younger boy appeared guilty, his eyes even watering, but he held up his knives and darts with determination. Ken, flabbergasted, let his mouth flap open and close. He couldn't find any words to say. Youji had a cross look spreading across his face as he retrieved his garrote.

Hirofumi took his chance to depart. He scrambled for the entrance, dropping his pistol and stumbling slightly over his feet. The other men didn't seem to notice; they were too caught up within their own predicament. Omi took a deep breath, watching Hirofumi—his older brother—make his exit.

Then, "Hold it right there!"

All heads snapped up to top of the room, where a figure was standing in the open arch of the window. The moon silhouetted the figure, and for a moment they were all on guard.

"Kidnapping innocents and putting the hopes and dreams of others on hold—I won't forgive that!"

Venus's familiar voice rang out as she placed a hand on her hip and pointed with the other.

"Agent of love and justice, I am Sailor Venus! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

_Oh_, Ken thought as he watched her leap down. _So that's what Hotaru meant when she said something about speeches_. Nonetheless, it appeared to have an effect on Hirofumi; the man had gone still during her speech, and it was only when she had landed on her feet did he recall the situation. He started off into a dash again.

"Love-me Chain!"

A thread of hearts flew towards him, ensnaring him in its grasp. Venus held the other end, determinedly pulling tighter, looking over at Aya. That was all he needed; the red-head darted forwards, his katana ready.

"Mamoru! Help me, Mamoru!"

"Aya-kun!" Omi was close to pleading as he flipped out his darts. They soared just past Aya, colliding with the chain of hearts. Venus gasped, dropping down to one knee as the darts made contact; a tremor ran through her body and the chain disintegrated into little specks of light before disappearing. "Minako-san! I—"

Hirofumi turned on his heel and sprinted out the entrance way. Aya made a move to follow after, but Omi called out his name again. The older man made a jerky movement as he stopped, glaring back at Omi.

"Aya, it's no use. He's gone," Youji said in a low voice. He was helping Minako up, whose senshi uniform faded to ribbons before becoming her regular clothes. "Are you alright?"

"No," the blonde muttered, grabbing onto his arm as she blinked rapidly. "Our—our powers draw from our soul, I—"

"Then it's not safe for you to be in that form!"

"No, it's not." Minako took out the pistol she had retrieved earlier, frowning as she cast her eyes around the hall. "Omi..."

"Omi, what the hell is going on?" Ken could hardly contain the anger from seeping into his voice; he was indignant, his claws still fresh with blood as he made towards the younger boy. "You let our target go!"

"Ken-kun, I'm sorry—Aya-kun, Youji-kun, Minako-san—" A wave of pity filled Minako heart as the tears dripped down Omi's face. She made the slightest motion forward, but Youji pulled her back, shaking his head. No, his look said, he has some explaining to do. "I'm sorry."

"Omi, what—"

"He's my brother."

The expression on Aya's face, Minako concluded, was frightening. His eyes—those violet eyes that held so much vengeance, so much pain—widened. In surprise? Disappointment? Or was it fury? Was it an anger beyond rage, beyond hate? Omi ducked his head from those eyes, his shoulders shaking.

"I'm a Takatori."

Ken was looking from Aya to Youji, as if one of them would be able to snap their fingers and erase the conversation from existence. He let his claws fold back, shaking his head. It had to be a joke, some weird, twisted joke—or a dream even. He wouldn't mind if it were a bad dream.

"I'm a Takatori," Omi repeated, and Minako felt Youji slip away from her. All eyes followed the tall man as he stood in front of Omi.

"Oi," Youji said casually.

Omi lifted his head, his cheeks still wet, and Youji made a fist and punched him. The younger boy flew to the ground, and Minako ran forward, alarmed. Her heels echoed throughout the hall, the sound almost eerie to Ken's ears.

"Snap out of this funk. You're Tsukiyono Omi, aren't you?"

"Y-youji-kun…"

"Am I right? Aya? Ken?"

The older of the addressed two merely turned his eyes away. Ken looked almost bewildered as he glared at Youji. But before he could answer, a whirring sound met their ears. The front wall of the hall was shifting, heavily moving to the side. "What the hell...?" A secret passage? In an old church like this? It was as if a floodgate had opened; men were tumbling in from the other side, scorched and burning. Shouts and screams rang through their ears; in an instant, all five members of Weiss had their weapons ready.

When the wall had slid open halfway, they could make out the mess of bodyguards, the huddled group of hostages and the sailor senshi clad in red, shooting fire from her hands.

"Mars," Minako breathed, and in an instant she was through the new opening, her gun ready. Cursing under his breath, Ken followed, tearing his bugnuks through a suited man that was aiming for the blonde. He was ducking and swinging again, avoiding bullets as they whizzed past him. It was almost starting to be easy, he realized as he sliced through another man. It was almost starting to be easy to kill. What worried him was not that particular thought; it was the fact that he was not _bothered_ by that thought that sickened him. The night had been particularly bloody, one of their worse missions. Did Takatori really have that many men?

"Ken!"

That was Youji. Aya would never forget to use codenames.

"The other targets! To your left!"

Right. The other ones. Kawa-something and Fugu-other. Ken pivoted sharply, driving his bugnuk up upon instinct; he was hardly aware of the spit and blood splattering his face as Kawa lurched forward under his claw. The man had a temporary spasm as Ken released him before he fell still. Ken straightened up, sighing. There were only four or five men left, one of them being the other target. His eyes subconsciously fell on Omi; the younger boy was throwing his darts and knives, left and right. He seemed to be trying to redeem himself.

"Mars!"

Minako, deeming that the last of the men could be taken care of by Aya and the others, threw aside her gun. She'd fired only a few shots, Ken noticed; her aim was off-center. The red-clad senshi glanced at her friend for a brief moment, shaking her head sharply as she released another flaming arrow. Ken watched as the arrow pierced the heart of the man Aya was about to strike down. The man burst into flames, and the second he made contact with the ground the fire extinguished.

"Mars," Minako said again, reaching forward and grabbing her friend's hands. "Stop."

The senshi let the flames in her hand fade in a puff of smoke. She wearily watched as Aya drove his katana into Fugu. Briefly she wondered who they were—who _he_ was—and why Minako was with them. Aya retrieved his katana from the body, immediately focusing his attention on her.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

Mars almost smiled at the familiar words. Instead she caught herself and looked away—she didn't want to look at his eyes. She knew she wouldn't she able to break eye contact if she did; they were too haunting.

"Mars?"

She hesitated. Minako's own eyes were blue. No, they were more than blue—they were the sky and the ocean all put into one. Like Usagi's. Minako and Usagi really were alike, she surmised as she watched Youji reel his wire back with a frown. They both had endless amounts of hope, even when they questioned their duties. It was almost envious.

"Minako," she said, "where's Takatori Hirofumi?"

Minako's breath caught in her throat and she gave Omi a fleeting look. The boy had tensed, unaware that he had slipped more of his knives into his hand. Mars frowned, but waited patiently.

"He's probably gone by now."

"What?" Mars grabbed her shoulders, her eyes fierce. "You let him get away?"

"Mars—what?"

"He killed all these people, Minako."

It was then the members of Weiss noticed that the hostages, huddled in the corner, hadn't moved an inch. Minako's eyes widened and watered, her hands flying to her mouth as realization hit. Her stomach fluttered, and she said in a soft voice her teammates didn't hear, "Rei."

Mars's own eyes were dry and angry. "I'll talk to you later, then."

She was out of the grand hall in a matter of seconds, and Aya frowned as Minako shakily made her way towards the lifeless body of Kumada Yuuichirou.

**notes** HAHA WHAT WHO DIED?

i mean. aw. omi. your family is so messed up.

the minako/outers focus is going to die down a bit from now on, what with the whole 'no-we-cannot-risk-your-powers' thing. doubt she'd be the kind of person who would readily shoot someone and not feel guilty about it. but things will be taking yet another turn for rei. cos things can't die down around the takatori family; they're too deranged for that.

crawford's and aya's big parts are coming soon, too.

thankyou for reviewing, and thankyou to my readers. :)


	10. 09: stitchwork ii

**chapter nine: stitchwork ii  
**Mars was well aware that Minako was running after her. She heard the inconsistent pattern of footsteps, heard the ragged breaths from the other senshi's mouth. She didn't, however, stop to offer a helping hand; Mars couldn't afford that, not at that moment in time when things were starting to fall out of place and emerge in a different plot hole. Not when the answers she wanted were running away in the form of her oldest brother.

"Mars!"

Don't turn around, she willed herself.

"Mars! Listen to me!"

She couldn't listen, and was therefore surprised when the other senshi took a flying leap and tackled her down. Minako held the struggling Mars down, pinning her arms to the marble floor and sitting on her torso. "Listen to me."

Mars stopped struggling and blew her bangs out of her face, glancing off to the side. Minako smiled slightly; her friend looked just like a child after a temper tantrum. "Listen, you – I know you must be – well, you must have a lot of questions, and –"

"_Minako_," Mars said flatly, "get off me."

"You can't run after him."

"Why not?"

"Mars, he's the son of Takatori Reiji!" Minako shook her friend by the shoulders, her eyes wide with frenzy. "If something happens and they find out you did it then –"

She was cut off as Mars let an inferno of flames roar between them. Yelping and backing off, the blonde unconsciously unleashed a beam of energy. There was a grunt and a thud as Ken, from behind, was hit with the Crescent Beam. "Oh, sh –!"

"Minako, what did you do?" Uranus, her hand gripping fiercely onto Neptune's, rounded the corner, a hostile look on her face. Minako shook her head, frustrated.

"I didn't mean to! He – Omi!"

The blonde boy crouched beside his fallen comrade, digging his fingers under Ken's jacket to check for a pulse. "It's nothing serious. He's just out."

"Mars," Minako tried again, directing her attention to the red-clad senshi. "Please."

"Venus, let her go."

Neptune glanced at her partner before nodding her head in agreement. "There are a lot of things that you – all of you," she addressed Weiss, "need to know. I can bring you back – Uranus has things to do."

"And where are _you_ going?"

Uranus turned her glare onto Youji. "Believe it or not, I have other things in my life besides catering to your every whim."

"Touché," Youji smirked.

"Mars, if you're not quick enough, you'll lose him."

Mars gave a solemn smile. "Thanks." She ducked her head at Minako for a quick moment. "Sorry."

And Weiss watched as she darted off.

**xxx**

Takatori Hirofumi heard the footsteps before he felt the body colliding with him. His head smacked on the stone steps of the cathedral as he fell forward, his glasses flying off. He was forcibly turned over, onto his back, and his gaze was met with fierce, violet eyes. For a quick moment he had a fleeting thought that Mamoru had let the red-headed killer come after him – the one that made his blood freeze with just one look.

"Who –?!"

A gloved fist caught him in the cheek, and Mars tightened her hold on his neck. He was sputtering, trying to wrestle out of her grip. His eyes watered at the pain as she slammed her fist into his face again – this time with an extra spurt of flame. He cried out as fire made contact with flesh, but she merely thinned her lips.

"Who – who –?" he was crying, and she only felt cold fury in the pit of her stomach. Again and again she drew back her arm and let her fist fall on his face; again and again she increased the amount of fire held in her palm as she did so. The pungent odor of burning flesh filtered through the air; he was screaming, crying out for someone to save him – _masafumi! mamoru! otousan, ojisan! rei! _– and she was repulsed. The fury spread throughout her veins, and she let an excessively bright ball of fire hang directly by his cheek. His face was burned and scorched, the tears running down his face not helping the pain.

"Why did you kill Kumada Yuuichirou?"

"Otousan – otousan, help me, please – Masafumi, I'm sorry, please – please –"

"_Why_," she emphasized again, aware that her voice had cracked and her eyes were watering, "why did you kill him?"

"Otousan – Mamoru… Someone, please…"

Mars closed her eyes and guided her fist down to his face. At the last second, a hand grabbed her arm and pulled it back.

"That's enough."

The flame didn't die out. The hand on Hirofumi's neck loosened, and she untransformed, but the flame still burned.

"…Crawford," Rei said, looking up to him with weary eyes. He was still holding her arm, ignorant of the heat emitting from her palm. His expression was unreadable as he frowned down at her. She hesitated before looking away and standing up, letting her arm fall limp in his grasp.

"Miss Takatori."

The fire extinguished, the last of its cinders licking the air above her palm. It was pitch dark, save for the glow of the moon hanging in the sky. Crawford still didn't let go, still didn't break his line of sight on her.

"Can you just… take me back home?"

It was starting to become almost impossible to stand up any longer. She was worn out, tired. There would be time for explanations later. She would sort everything out after she'd get back to the house. She would sort everything out after she'd pass out on the couch and wake up the next morning.

Crawford wordlessly led her to the car, his hand still closed around her wrist. Schuldig was sitting in the driver's seat, for once appearing to be solemn; he didn't smirk or raise his eyebrows at her – just looked at her before starting the car. She would've liked to comment on that, make fun of him, give a nasty retort, but her mouth wouldn't open. A particularly frightening Farfarello (he had his knives out, flipping them idly as his gaze scoured the cathedral) sat in the passenger seat. Nagi moved over in the back to make room for her.

"I will take care of Takatori Hirofumi," Crawford said, and he let go of her arm.

It was about a minute after Schuldig had started down the roadway when Rei fell asleep, breathing deeply, her head resting on Nagi's shoulder.

**xxx**

The back room of Koneko no Sumu Ie was crowded more than usual. Omi fumbled with the teacups somewhat, avoiding everyone's gazes as he set the tray on the table. He sat down in his seat. On the other side of him, Minako reached for a teacup; she rested her hands on the ceramic cup, drawing in its warmth. Across the table, Hotaru, the presence of Neptune lurking behind her chair, took a sip of her own drink.

"I suppose I shouldn't put this off any longer." Hotaru set her down her cup, smiling. "Esset has been targeting me."

"Esset?" Ken, who hadn't touched his own cup, blinked. "What's that?"

"You don't know?" Neptune looked sharply from one face to the next – Ken was perplexed. Youji appeared to be somewhat interested, though he failed to mask his true boredom; Aya merely glared at her, but Omi was thoughtful as he met her glance. Minako looked up, brow wrinkled in thought. Hotaru frowned, leaning on her elbows and swirling her drink.

"Neptune-san?"

"Esset is an organization – no, more than just an organization. They're the ones that pull the strings behind every major crime – throughout the world. Politicians, company holders, even celebrities have fallen into their circle." She looked over at Aya. "Kritiker is the group trying to bring justice to them."

"_What_?" Ken knocked over his drink and swore, hastily mopping it up with Youji's handkerchief. The older man glared half-heartedly at him. "What do you mean – Kritiker?"

"Takatori Reiji is just one man caught up in Esset's tangle." No one missed the way Omi sat back or how Aya's hand twitched on his cup's handle. "He represents the Japanese branch."

"Hotaru-san," Omi said, and he consciously evaded looking at Aya, "why are they targeting you?"

"Not target as in kill," she mused, "but more of recruiting. Because I can do this."

Hotaru glanced to Ken's cheek, where a small gash had been bandaged. She peeled off the bandage and placed her hand on his face, concentrating. A purple glow lit up the room, and everyone sitting at the table was mesmerized as the cut slowly faded. Ken stared down at Hotaru, his mouth flapping open and shut.

"Healing. Esset is known for their more – _talented­_ members. People with abilities." She placed her hands in her lap, looking up in thought. "When my parents found out about Esset's existence, they felt that they had to protect me. Pluto willingly joined them under the guise of a scientist. She was already well-known to them, so it wasn't that hard to persuade the council."

Neptune nodded, concurring. "From her position in Esset, she's able to obtain access to information that would've been impossible to get otherwise. It was about a year ago when we came across the name Kritiker. It was maybe two months ago when we discovered the existence of their prodigy unit, Weiss."

Hotaru reached to the middle and took the pot off the coaster, pouring herself some more tea. After she had settled, she swept her gaze around at the members of the room again. "I sincerely apologize for any trouble I might have caused. The only reason for my... investigation – we just wondered what Esset's enemy might be like. How they lived, acted. What measures they took against crime."

Omi dropped his eyes back down to his drink.

"We were unaware that Weiss itself had no idea of Esset even existing."

"Well, excuse us for just doing our job like the good kids we are," Youji commented lightly, running a hand through his hair. "So you're saying all the fainting around Ken and sleeping in chibi's room was just so you could find out what he was like?"

"Y-yes, that's right." Hotaru swung her legs back and forth, a blush settling on her cheeks. "I didn't mean for Hidaka-san to… be there."

Ken was frowning. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at her sideways. "…oi. You don't need to be so formal, with the Hidaka-san and everything."

"Then it's Ken-chan?" Her eyes were suddenly bright as she looked at him, and he almost fell out of his chair.

"Th-that's a little too forward, don't you think? I –"

Neptune stifled a laugh by placing a hand over her smile, turning away. Youji had burst out laughing, slapping his hand on the table. "Yeah, yeah, Ken-chan works fine!"

"Youji!"

"She's just a little girl, Ken, don't get so huffy."

The ex-soccer player buried his face in his hands, mortified. Hotaru smiled, patting him on the back. "It's okay, Ken-chan. I won't tell Haruka-papa."

"Tell papa – what?!"

"Minako," she said suddenly, addressing the quiet blonde. The addressed blinked, straightening up in her seat. Hotaru paused. Then, "Hino Rei is also a target of Esset. Please don't tell her this."

"Hotaru," Neptune said sharply, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Hotaru shook her head, looking up at the older senshi. A silent conversation fell between the two before Neptune drew back, looking once again supremely unconcerned.

"Eh?" Minako glanced between the two, perplexed. "Rei-chan…?"

"The people she's with now will keep her safe." Hotaru smiled. "I'm sure of it."

There was a silence that settled between the members of the room as Minako stuck her hands in the roots of her hair. Youji sighed, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. Almost instinctively she leaned into him. Ken, after witnessing the exchange, seemed to busy himself with his half-spilled drink, spinning the cup and fumbling with the spoon. He never understood why there was a spoon. It was a drink, right? He caught Aya watching him and grinned. The violet-eyed man almost – _almost _– rolled his eyes in exasperation. Instead his shifted his gaze towards Omi.

The younger boy looked tormented.

"Oi, Omi," Ken said, thankful for having something other than Youji the Player to focus on. The boy looked up sharply. "What happened back there?"

If Youji's arms weren't full with Minako, he would've smacked Ken for being so utterly tactless.

**xxx**

"_Don't be late tomorrow, Tsukiyono-senpai!" a classmate called out to him, waving her arm exuberantly. Omi smiled and returned the wave with one of his own. She giggled, turning to her friends with her hands clasped to her heart. He shook his head, faintly amused, before putting on his helmet. Ah, he couldn't find his key to his motorcycle. Oh wait, there it was. In the folder with the directions to the delivery house. What was it doing there?_

_Omi sighed, retrieving the key. His eye caught sight of Hotaru, who was carrying a violin case over her shoulder. Funny, she didn't have that this morning. He made his mind to greet her, smiling as she looked in his direction. Then his mouth frowned as she merely swept her eyes over him. She had seen him, but hadn't said anything. Was something wrong? They were friends, right?_

_No they weren't. Omi sighed, starting his motorcycle. Before he could leave, however, an arm grabbed his._

"_Mamoru."_

_Tsukiyono Omi turned around to see a man with hair slicked back and glasses. The man wore a dark blue suit and carried a briefcase. He tugged at Omi's sweater, his eyes wide and frantic._

"_It's you, isn't it? Mamoru?"_

"_I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for someone else."_

_Minako's friend had called him Mamoru._

"_No, you – come with me, Mamoru. We need to talk."_

"_I apologize, I must –"_

_The man had dug up his wallet and taken out a picture. It was the picture in his room, framed and sitting on the stand by his bed. Omi frowned, taking it and turning it over. It was the complete version, with the ripped part in tact._

"_Mamoru," the man said, "it's me. Your brother."_

_Omi knew that the man was Takatori Hirofumi. He didn't know, though, that they were brothers._

"_Mamoru, we were told that you were dead. I had no idea – when I heard from a friend that you were alive – I can't believe it Mamoru. I can't believe it."_

"_Takatori...?"_

"_What is it, Mamoru?"_

"_I'm a Takatori?"_

_x_

_Ouka met him with a big smile, looking pretty in her red dress. It was almost funny that they matched; his tie was the exact same color. She threaded her arm through his, pulling him over to the desserts table and snatching a strawberry cake. "These are always the best," she explained. "You should try it." Then she stuck the fork in his mouth, laughing as he sputtered._

_It _was_ good, he reasoned, and despite his reddened face, he smiled. Ouka looked relieved for a moment. Then, "Stay here. I'll go and get papa!"_

_He waited for her, taking another bite of the cake. It really _was_ something special. He wondered who'd made it and what kind of school chefs went to, when his brother came up in front of him._

"_Mamoru," his brother said, "what are you doing here?"_

_Omi stared, his eyes wide. "Oniisan." The target._

"_Mamoru, come with me." Hirofumi took him by the arm, pulling him out of the room. They were in the hall when Omi shook his head._

"_No, I can't. Not now. I told – my friend – I'd meet –"_

"_Mamoru," Hirofumi said. "Don't you want to see your other brother?"_

_The room Omi was led into was occupied by one other man. He looked extremely bored, sitting in the armchair, elbow propped up. Upon catching sight of Omi, however, he stood up abruptly._

"_Mamoru? Is that really you?"_

"_I…"_

"_Hirofumi told me – I thought he was lying. You're really... alive?"_

_Omi was wordless. He was a Takatori? Was he really a Takatori?_

_x_

_Omi opened his eyes and found himself gagged and tied. He glanced around, realizing he was not alone; around seven or eight other people were also bound in the same way. Upon closer inspection, he saw that only one other had regained consciousness. They caught each other's eyes; wordlessly they communicated. The two managed to get off each other's hand ties. When they released their own mouth gags, they introduced themselves._

"_Tsukiyono Omi."_

"_Kumada Yuuichirou." The older boy frowned, rubbing his jaw. "What happened?"_

"_There was an explosion – I think we were kidnapped." Omi averted his eyes as he slipped his hands inside his pockets. Good. His darts and knives were still there. No crossbow, but he could manage._

"_Kidnapped?!" Yuuichirou started to stand up, shaking his head, bewildered. "Rei – she's not here, where –?"_

"_Awake, are we?"_

"_Kawasuma. That one is off limits." Takatori Hirofumi pointed at Omi and the younger boy stood up._

"_Oniisan?!"_

"_Oniisan? He's your brother, Hirofumi?" The other man, tall and thin, looked faintly amused. "How on earth did he get roped in here? There were specific targets. Unless he's part of the group tracking us…?"_

"_Don't be stupid," Hirofumi snapped. He cleared his throat, his expression softening. "Mamoru, listen. You need to get out of here. There's –"_

"_Takatori Hirofumi?" Yuuichirou looked upset, flummoxed as he looked from Hirofumi to Kawasuma. "What's going on?"_

"_Simple," Kawasuma said, leaning forward. "You die, and we get your parents' votes."_

"_Oniisa –"_

"_Mamoru! Get out of here!"_

"_I – I can't! You're – you planned this?"_

"_No, I had nothing to do with this!" Hirofumi grabbed his brother's shoulders. "Please, listen to me. I only found out just now – you have to leave!"_

"_Where's Rei?" Yuuchirou started forward, grabbing Hirofumi by the collar. The look in his eyes was pure fire, Omi saw. This Rei person was someone he wanted to protect, someone he wanted to keep safe. He almost felt envious, but then Kawasuma made a move. The man didn't hesitate a second; he took out his gun and pulled the trigger. Omi cried out, making a move towards his temporary new ally._

_Yuuichirou's eyes were wet as he fell backwards. His gaze locked on Omi's; the blonde rushed forward, cradling his head in his arms. "Yuuichirou-san! Yuuichirou-san, hang in there!"_

"_Yuuichirou-san!"_

"_Rei – take care of –"_

"_Oniisan, help me!"_

_Yuuichirou shuddered and, with the faintest of smiles, his body went still. Omi was frozen._

"_Mamoru," Hirofumi said, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Leave him."_

"_Oniisan – how could you let that happen?"_

_Kawasuma snorted, twirling his gun on his finger. Hirofumi swallowed._

"_Kumada Yuuichirou – was planning to kill Masafumi. We have evidence of that."_

"_...what?"_

"_Believe me, Mamoru. If he had known your true identity, he would have killed you too."_

"_No," Omi said, shaking his head. "You –"_

"_I'm your brother. I wouldn't lie to you."_

_That's right. He was a Takatori. But still..._

_Behind them, Kawasuma smirked. Takatori Hirofumi was one lying bastard._

Schuldig pulled out of Rei's mind, frowning. So she had visions like that. They were different from Crawford's, very different. While the oracle could control his visions and what they centered on, this girl... They just came to her. She had no control whatsoever – she couldn't block them or call on them. Her ability wasn't stable. He wondered vaguely why she hadn't died from them yet – several others in Rosenkreuz hadn't been able to control their abilities, and they died under their own power. Was it that senshi power that kept her in check? But _those_ abilities had nothing to do with the visions...

"Well?"

"She's different from you, Crawford." It was unusual to hear the German speaking in grave tones. Nagi frowned. "Not as organized, not as controlled."

Crawford raised an eyebrow, as if to say _are you really that surprised?_ At that, Schuldig's characteristic smirk flitted back onto his face.

"But it's more fun that way, isn't it?"

And he dug back into Rei's mind, intent on erasing her newest visions. She didn't need to know who Takatori Mamoru was yet. It wasn't a part of his plan, his plot to see if she could really succeed. She hadn't gone through Rosenkreuz; therefore it was almost like his calling to torment her. Nagi watched; a film of sweat had appeared on the sleeping girl's brow. Wordlessly he took a wet cloth and laid it on her forehead. She was still breathing sharply, as if she were fighting a fever. What was Schuldig doing in there?

Crawford was watching with his ever-knowing eye. Nagi, having studied and idolized the older man for years, could tell that there was something else than his usually cool confidence. Something Nagi had never seen before, something he couldn't understand. The boy's frown deepened as he looked back at Schuldig, whose smirk intensified after a moment.

"She's got an interesting life, Crawford."

"Is that so?" Crawford seemed relatively uninterested as he stood up, and Nagi couldn't detect that different 'thing' anymore. The telekinetic looked back at Rei, whose breathing seemed to return to normal. He ignored Schuldig's sly remark in his head and Crawford's flashing glasses as the two left the room. There was something about her, this Hino girl – this Takatori. This girl who had told him to call her Rei, who had smiled at him despite having everything ripped away from her.

Nagi was not used to feeling like this. It was almost like the way he felt when he saw Tot – almost. There was something different, something instinctive. A need to help. To protect. It was absurd, pathetic, he knew. You only ever helped yourself in this world. Schwarz was just an exception; they helped each other to achieve their own goals. It was how the world worked. The bitter, cold world that had shunned him and thrown him away.

He was holding onto her hand without realizing it. This time, however, Nagi didn't fall asleep. He sat by her side and waited for her to wake up. He didn't have to wake long; her eyes fluttered open after a minute or so. She seemed to have realized that she was bed-ridden, again, and cursed under her breath, her grip on his hand tightening.

"Are you alright?"

Rei sighed, sitting up. She looked at him for a moment, curious. Then, "My head hurts. What did Schuldig do?"

Nagi couldn't look away from her eyes, but he didn't answer. She frowned at him, reaching her free hand forward and resting it on his head.

"Nagi," she said, and he nodded. "I think you need a haircut."

Nagi stared at her as she slipped her hand out of his grasp. Rei slid to the edge of the bed, her hair falling into her eyes. She approached the closet – her closet, now that she'd chosen to live with them – and was faintly surprised to see her clothes hanging in there. The men she lived with sure were thoughtful. She rummaged through the clothes, idly pushing back hangers and running her eyes over them.

"Rei."

"Hmm."

"Are you coming tonight?"

"Tonight?" She paused at a simple violet shirt, pulling it out. There was a white sweater to go with it, too, somewhere. Something she'd borrowed from Ami awhile ago. Rei frowned, digging in deeper into the closet. Ah, there it was. She yanked it out, her lips curving up.

"Our mission." Because Nagi knew that Schuldig would never give up a chance like this. The man had developed a habit of toying around with others' minds; Nagi remembered his plan to see how far he could push Rei until she reached her limits. Crawford hadn't stopped him yet, so Nagi couldn't say anything.

Rei's breath caught in her throat at the sight of a single hanger, separated from the rest. Weaved around it was a worn, thin strip of cloth. It couldn't even be considered a ribbon. She unconsciously ran a hand through her hair; Yuuichirou never did buy her a newer, proper hair tie.

"Rei?"

"Yeah, I am." She turned towards him, her clothes in her hands and mock-glaring at him. "Do you want me to sit in this dirty dress all day, Nagi? Get out of my room so I can change!"

His cheeks pinking, the teen immediately started for the door. Nagi gave her one last look before he left the room, almost pouting but not quite. Rei laughed at him, shaking her head and pulling off the dirtied dress. Behind her, the strip of cloth hung down, tattered and unmoving.

**two months later**

"Shi –" Rei, leaning against the wall and breathing hard, hastily reloaded her gun. The empty clip fell to the ground with a loud clang; not like it mattered. _Someone_ had decided to be an ass and make the job a lot harder than it was supposed to be by 'accidentally' setting off the intruder alarm. And said someone was currently standing off to the side, hands in his pockets as he casually glanced around. He had the air of complete disinterest, while Rei herself was on an apprehensive edge.

"Schuldig," she growled, finishing reloading her gun and peering around the edge of the doorway. She fired once, twice, three times before retreating back, bullets whizzing by her arm. "Will you stop being useless and help me out here?"

The German glanced at her innocently – oh, wait. Rei had to remind herself that he was fatally incapable of being so – and shrugged. "I didn't bring my gun."

The raven-haired girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself. Then she jumped in the path of the open doorway, firing. One man, two men, three more men were down. All that was left was the main target, who cowered under a briefcase at the other end of the room. Rei twirled her gun around her finger, well aware that it was reckless; she couldn't help it. It was a nasty habit she'd picked up from Schuldig, after having been partnered up with him for more times than she could remember.

"You! You're – you're Takatori's daughter!"

"Yeah, I am."

Rei pointed her pistol at him and pulled the trigger twice. The man's body twitched before falling still. Sighing, she clicked the gun on safety and tucked it in the pocket of her coat. "Finish up with the files here, I've got some people I need to mee –!"

She whirled around, just in time to see one of the men she'd shot earlier. He had his rifle pointed at her, his eyes wet with tears, and he pressed down on the trigger. The world whisked around Rei as she felt arms encircle her; when the air settled back down a second later, she found Schuldig holding her. He reached into her pocket, taking out her gun and shooting the man, all with one arm still wrapped around her waist.

"You should be more careful."

"I wouldn't have to be if someone actually _did_ something."

"I just saved you, didn't I?" A Cheshire cat-like grin spread on his lips. "Don't I deserve a prize?"

"No," Rei said shortly, shoving him away and rolling her eyes. "You can take care of the information, right?"

_Maybe if I get something in return._

"Shut up, Schuldig," she grumbled, tossing a ball of flames in his direction. Schuldig, with his inhuman speed, easily avoided it. The foreigner stood by the dead body of the target, prying the briefcase from his fingers. Wordlessly Rei made her way out of the building, her heels clicking against the tiles. She pushed open the doors, feeling the cold, crisp air bite at her face. Despite herself, she shivered and pulled her coat closer. She never liked morning missions.

Rei sighed, and a small cloud puffed in front of her face. Wasn't it supposed to be getting warmer as summer rolled by? She hadn't noticed the weather changing at all, having been too busy the past month. Busy with taking part in Schwarz's missions, busy with trying to find an adequate shrine keeper to care of Hikawa Jinja, busy with becoming involved in her father's political life after Hirofumi's death...

She hadn't been the one to kill him. Crawford had kept his word true that night; he _did_ take care of Takatori Hirofumi. Her older brother arrived at the family dinner the next day with a bright smile. His face was mangled, yes, but he still seemed to be in good spirits and effectively evaded the questions concerning his looks. He also avoided Rei's gaze, something she was greatful for; she didn't know whether she would be able to control herself.

Crawford told her it was that kid that killed him. The one Minako worked with, the one she'd slowly found herself getting attached to. Tsukiyono Omi. Apparently Hirofumi had threatened him for the names of the others. Rei shifted her bag, stopping with the crowd at the crosswalk. Lately she had been spending a lot of time around Minako and her coworkers – they all had a casual camaraderie to them that reminded her strongly of the Inners themselves. Sometimes, while she was browsing flowers or watching Minako mess up an order, she'd forget that they were, essentially, her own enemies.

The people around her began to shuffle forward, and Rei moved her feet, frowning at where her thoughts were taking her. Minako worked with them. Rei had kept quiet about everything; the first day they'd seen each other after the incident at Marine Cathedral, Rei bluntly told the blonde that everything was her own business. That if Minako wanted to keep a bunch of secrets, she wasn't going to question it. That she knew that if it were something she needed to know, Minako would tell her. Apparently this settled a lot of things; her coworkers were considerably more relaxed (except for Aya, though _that_ was a given. She had, after all, stolen his katana) around her. Minako had even taken her out to eat _and_ paid for it. A miracle in itself.

"Rei!"

"Eh?"

Rei, jumbled out of her musings, turned around, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Ken was hurrying towards her, a soccer ball under one arm and a gym bag slung over a shoulder. He waved, trying to catch her attention after he already obtained it. Quickly he caught up, walking beside her with an easy smile and his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Going to the shop?"

"Yeah. Minako called earlier and said she was the only one working. I'm scared the place might burn down." Rei laughed at his scandalized expression; he always wondered (out loud, too, and in front of her presence) why Minako was so close with someone who always made fun of her. "Just a joke, Ken."

"You're just like Youji," he grumbled good-naturedly.

"Don't compare me to that playboy!" Rei scowled at the thought of the man. Tall, suave, easy with words and women. The first time she met him, she had, as surprising as it was, compared him with Yuuichirou. That was what allowed him to speak so casually with her, to let him hold her so suddenly. The second time she saw him, however, she easily saw that she apparently had hit her head hard that day. There wasn't even a remotely close resemblance between the two. Especially when Youji had flirted with a woman whose husband was across the street getting coffee.

"He's a good guy," Ken said after a moment, shrugging. "At least, I think he is."

She rolled her eyes, but said nothing else about the subject. "Soccer lesson later today?"

Ken grinned at her, adjusting the grip on the ball in his hand. "Yeah. She's really starting to get better." He had taken it upon himself, after discovering that she was wary of sports in fear of her health diminishing, to teach Hotaru soccer. Those lessons were the ones he looked forward to, more than the group of kids he taught. Youji constantly teased him, saying things like it was illegal and that her father would come to smash his face in, but Omi thought it was nice of him. She really was a bright girl, willing to learn and to try hard. In turn, she somehow managed to get him an autograph of Ten'ou Haruka – _the_ Ten'ou Haruka, who he'd only dreamed of racing with one day.

"I'm glad," Rei said faintly. Haruka and Michiru had seemed to disappear off the face of the earth since Marine Cathedral. She'd read the newspaper clippings, seen the headlines – 'Classical Music Beauty Declared Missing,' 'Racing Prodigy Lets Down Team – Doesn't Show Up for Grand Prix' and the like. At first she'd tried to ask Hotaru what happened, why they were hiding, but the younger girl merely changed the subject every time.

"Ah, I'm so hungry." Ken cast a longing glance at the café across the street as they approached Koneko no Sumu Ie. "Omi called me out this morning because he'd forgotten something and couldn't leave school to get it."

"Then I guess you'll be glad with my delivery." Rei pulled out of her bag a rather large bento box and tugged open the door of the flower shop.

The bell dinged, signaling customers, and Minako, repotting a plant, instinctively called out, "Irrashaimase!"

"Mako-chan made you lunch," her raven-haired friend said as she set the bento box on the counter. Mako-chan – Rei's hands lingered on the bento. The two of them had decided to forget that night with the French man, pretending that it never passed. It was easier that way – questions avoided, answers not given.

"What for?" Minako paused, shovel in her hand as she wiped her cheek. A smudge of dirt still remained. "I told her –"

"– that you have a date, yeah, but she thinks that the guy will find out you're two-timing and dump you." Rei noticed Ken's shoulder jerking slightly as he put on his apron.

"I'm not two-timing! Besides, it's not like I can help it!" The blonde flipped her hair over her shoulder, wistfully sighing and clasping a hand to her heart. "Being beautiful –"

"– is such a crime. We all understood that three years ago, Minako." Rei leaned back on the counter. "It's alright, I guess Ken can have your lunch then."

"Can I really?" The ex-soccer player enthusiastically unwrapped the parcel, his eyes widening as he lifted the lid. His eyes were met with several onigiri, countless vegetables and fruits, about a dozen meatballs and croquettes, and a whole layer of rice itself. "There's – there's so much! Itadakimasu!" His eyes watered as he guided a croquette to his mouth. He chewed slowly, aware that both Rei and Minako were watching him with intense, wide eyes. Ken swallowed.

"How – how is it?" Minako asked, her voice hushed as she clutched the shovel with both hands. Rei nodded, seconding her question and leaning forward for his judgment.

"It – it's delicious!" Ken grabbed the bento and set it in his lap, digging in eagerly. The two females sighed in relief.

"I don't know why we doubted Mako-chan's skill in the first place –"

"Well, ever since she found out that guy had a fiancé, she's been in a slump –"

"So you think it's safe to eat at her place again?"

"Maybe." Minako dug back into the pot, humming. Rei watched the two of them. This comfortable air, this relaxed atmosphere – she hoped it wouldn't end too soon. It was almost peaceful, like the days before everyone had been dragged into the crime world's hidden mess. The days when they would have a drink at Crown Fruit Parlor before trying to beat the latest high score at the Game Center. When Usagi would whine about having to walk up the stone steps, and Mako-chan would cave in and give her a piggyback ride. When Minako would replace Ami's books with volumes of manga and declare war on studying. Those days were the days she missed most.

_Oi_._ Rei._

_Schuldig? _The thought was so solemn that she'd had a hard time believing it was him.

_You know that these guys are your dad's enemies. _It was coming. The inevitable question that she herself had avoided answering. She wondered why he didn't just pry through her mind to find out. _Why are you helping him?_

Rei took the hot dog Ken offered, laughing with him at the little face Mako-chan had drawn on it. She popped it into her mouth, savoring the taste; it really _was_ good, despite being lunch for breakfast. Ken clicked his chopsticks together before digging in again, oblivious to Minako's longing glance at the bento. Rei smiled. _Because the higher Takatori Reiji climbs, the more he has to fall, right?

* * *

_

**notes** LOL INFORMATION OVERLOAD YEAH?

apologies for the long overdue update. ;( things've been getting tight with the schedule lately. but um yeah all this information packed into one ginormous chapter – i hope your heads haven't exploded yet. if things are confusing now, just wait; they'll clear up. eventually. :D

i'm so sad that weiss side b is over without a proper conclusion. ;(

okay i don't think i have anything else to say. chapter's long enough as it is –faints-

thankyou my reviewers!  
and thankyou for reading. :D


	11. 10: casse gueule

**chapter ten: ****casse-gueule**

It was startlingly peaceful when the sun rose that morning. Rei sat on the edge of the leveled floor of the shrine, almost comfortable in her pencil skirt and heels. Her hands rested behind her as she tipped her weight back, letting her hair sweep the floor as she raised her eyes to the sky. Pale blue was rushing steadily to meet the intoxicating oranges; she could see faintly birds in the distant sky, cooing at each other and engaging in a game of tag. The usual hustle and bustle of the city had melted away long ago, as most inhabitants were tucked away in their beds still, dreaming of stars and moons and wishes.

Rei sighed, dropping her gaze to the briefcase by her side. It was black, made of leather, and carried around by a professional just yesterday before Schuldig had killed its owner. She'd forgotten the man's name long ago. She always forgot their names. It was easier that way, she reasoned with herself. Easier to pull a trigger or burn a body. It wasn't justifiable, no, but it was easier.

She brushed a hand over the clasp on the briefcase and hesitated. Crawford had given it to her wordlessly as he brushed past her into his own personal office. She didn't ask; he didn't answer. The man seemed to be avoiding her lately, only speaking to her when she had an appointment in a meeting with renowned politicians or an assignment to complete with Schuldig. It unnerved her, how he distanced himself; Schuldig constantly teased her mercilessly about it.

Rei clicked open the clasp and folded back the flap. She guided her hand through the unzipped compartment and pulled out the first file, which was filled with a thick stack of papers. It was labeled in bold Roman letters—_esset_. Rei frowned, flipping through the pages. Even more words in the foreign alphabet. It wasn't English, she knew that much. What else? French? German? She didn't know a single word in either language, and doubted that even Minako could read it. Maybe Ami, but she still hadn't seen the blue-haired girl and didn't want to reunite under false pretenses.

She sighed, sliding the folder back in the briefcase and closing it. Just as she did so, the sound of laughter and clicking footsteps reached her ears. The sky was a blazing vermillion now, and the figures that appeared over the stone steps were silhouetted with a rim of light behind them. Rei let an easy smile slip on; it was obvious to tell who they were. One was excessively tall and lanky while the other was shorter and skirted.

"Special delivery for Hino Rei!" Minako chirped as she motioned with a flourish at the flowers in Youji's arms. "You must have one hell of a secret admirer. This was almost as expensive as my rent."

Rei shrugged listlessly, not moving from her sitting position. The two approached, Youji sending a wink in her direction—a wink which she promptly ignored. The young man laughed at that, amused. "How did you know I was here?"

"It was addressed to the shrine," Minako said, taking the card from one of the bouquets. Youji slipped an arm around her and playfully tugged the card out of her hands, smirking. She wrinkled her nose in turn but didn't pull away, and Rei raised an eyebrow. Those two had to be the most unfaithful people she'd ever met.

"Youji!" Ken, jogging up the steps, looked irritated as he came into view. He had another bouquet of flowers in one hand and a basket of petals in the other. Minako and Youji pulled apart just the slightest as he neared. "You gave me the wrong directions!"

"Did I?" Youji seemed to contemplate this for a second, looking upwards at the sky. "Hm."

Ken scowled, thrusting the bouquet into the older man's arm and dropping the basket onto the floor. "Whatever, you just—"

Minako cut him off with a gasp of delight as the petals in the basket whirled out and spread across the ground. Rei paused, watching as they swept around their feet and melted in with the sky. It was eerily reminiscent of that spring day when Nagi had taken her back here, when he had tried to settle the turbulent of thoughts in her mind. She half-expected him to walk out from behind a tree, or to appear behind her suddenly with a half-smile. Instead, she watched Minako dance around with an innocence so much like Usagi's. She watched as Youji's eyes followed the blonde's every movement, solemn and dark yet soft and benign at the same time. She watched as his shoulders relaxed and his lips slowly tugged upwards.

Rei realized he was falling in love, and she quickly looked away, almost as if she had been caught in an incriminating act. Her own eyes then caught sight of Ken and an unexpected wave of pity filled her. There was a slight curious look on his face as he looked back from Youji to Minako, the smile on his lips not quite meeting his eyes. The sky was still vivid, the lights playing off his face. The petals still scurried around his feet from the slow breeze, but he paid them no attention.

She sighed, dropping her gaze down to her lap. It was starting to get uncomfortable for her, watching these two in their unguarded moments. She hoped she would never have to face them on the battlefield—Rei didn't know whether or not she would be able to fight back without hesitating.

"Sorry," came a voice from her left, and she was almost—_almost_—surprised to see Ken sitting by her, looking unbothered as he lifted his gaze up to the sky. He was good at suppressing his feelings, she reasoned. "Those petals were a part of your delivery, too."

"Who were they from?" Rei had no idea who would spend that amount of money on flowers for her.

"A man called..." Ken furrowed his brow, trying to recall the order. "Kudou, I think? Wait, no, that's Youji's name..."

"Kaidou?"

"Yeah! That was it!" Ken turned back to her, fist smacking palm. "How'd you know?"

Rei let out the breath she was holding and shook her head. "Just a guess."

It was only just a guess—Kaidou, whom she hadn't seen in years; Kaidou, whom she had an appointment later with; Kaidou, who would address her as Miss Takatori, and whom she would call her father's associate—and she ducked her head from his eyes; Ken, noting this, decided to fall silent as he busied himself with tying his shoelaces. Minako stopped dancing around and tugged on Youji's arm. The man blinked once, twice before smiling charismatically, all signs of earlier emotions fading away at once. He was good at this too, Rei surmised. They all were.

"We should get going on the rest of the deliveries," Minako said, waving goodbye to Rei as she pulled Youji towards the steps. Ken grumbled something under his breath before ducking his head in a farewell to Rei; he deliberately trailed behind the other two.

As they disappeared out of sight, Rei leaned back again, frowning as she stared up at the sky. It was a mess of colors, tangerine smashing into a dull periwinkle as the sun's rise overtook the clouds. A breath of air escaped her lips as she got to her feet, ensnaring the briefcase in her fingers before brushing off her blazer and skirt. Another meeting to go to, more sucking up to endure. She'd put her pride on the line, all for the assured downfall of her father's empire.

Her phone started chiming that annoying song she always forgot to take off, and Rei hastily flipped it open. "Ye—"

"Miss Takatori, it's a pleasure to finally speak with you. I thi—"

_Excuse me?_ Rei pulled the phone away from her ear, looking at it incredulously. Just who did this person think he was? Frowning, she put the phone back within hearing range; the man was still speaking in a remarkably genial tone for six in the morning.

"—nd I've always admired the way you handle things in meetings, so I was wondering perhaps you would be so kind as to grace me with your presence at breakfast? It'll just be a few oth—"

Rei closed her phone, picked up the briefcase again and took about eight steps before her phone started making noise again. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and answered the call. "_What_?"

"I think you've misunderstood," the cheerful voice said. "That wasn't an offer."

"I'm sorry?"

"You see, this friend of mine is very interested in you. And it just so happens that one of _your_ friends—you know, the short one with the pigtails? Well, her plane back home tonight just might have a delay—"

"Where are you?"

"Ah, glad that you've decided to join us. Little Honey Café, across the street from a flower shop called Koneko no Sumu Ie. Be there in ten minutes, please!"

"Who—"

The other line clicked dead. Rei's grip on the phone tightened as she breathed in, out, in again to calm herself down. The man's voice rang clear in her ears, that annoyingly fake voice that almost rivaled Schuldig's. His threat against Usagi pounded against her head and, as a sudden anger flared inside of her, Rei reeled back her arm and threw the phone as hard as she could. Then, turning on her heel, she took off.

All the while, she wasn't aware of the piercing violet eyes watching her every move.

**xxx**

"Oh, Aya-kun, you're back."

"No school today?"

Omi blinked at the question as he tied his apron around his waist. Aya never made small talk. He didn't waste his breath on things like that. "Ah... no. Manx recommended that I take the day off."

If 'recommended' meant her calling him at midnight and telling him to be ready for anything _unexpected_ that might happen around the shop. Aya's lips thinned for just a second before he disappeared into the backroom. He returned moments later with a broom, sweeping the front area.

"The other three are still out on delivery."

The slight hunch of Aya's shoulders indicated that he was listening, and Omi smiled.

"Ouka-san dropped by and reserved some more flowers. She's going to buy us out one day."

Aya shifted his stance, digging the broom under a particularly low shelf.

"Oh, it's okay, Ken already did that shelf."

"When will they be back?"

"Noon." Omi sat on the stool, watching the older man sweep the floor. He was being unusually talkative, no matter how brisk his statements were. "Aya-kun, is everything... alright?"

He didn't answer. Omi couldn't tell whether or not that was a good thing. He took the cap off his head and set it on the counter, continuing to follow Aya with his eyes. Aya, who had changed so much after joining... Omi could still remember when Ken had punched the red-head upon meeting him, claiming that it was a 'welcome' to the new-comer—only to lead into an all-out brawl that left both unconscious. Aya had talked back then. He had gotten angry, indignant, startled; his frowns and glares had more meaning, more feeling behind them.

Now those glowers were just an automatic defense mechanism. Against what? Omi rested his chin on the counter, letting his arms dangle by his side. What had changed? What could have possibly made Aya so much more stoic? Stupid questions, he mentally chided himself. Of course he knew the answer. It was this job, this profession, this _killing_. That was enough to oblige any saint into hostility.

The bell dinged and a flaxen-haired man stepped in, smiling and looking for all the part a foreigner. "Hello," he said in succinct Japanese, "I'm looking for some flowers."

Omi blinked, shaking out of his stupor. "Yes, I can help you with that. I—"

"Oh no, I've already ordered some. I'm here to pick them up." The man smiled, taking off his hat as he leaned on his cane. "Under the name KB."

"Hold on a moment, I'll go check." With a bright smile, Omi disappeared into the backroom. The man let out a sigh, returning his hat to his head as he swept his gaze around. Aya was still monotonously sweeping the floor; he hadn't, however, moved from the corner of the shop. There was a muffled clunk as Omi dropped something from the back, and both heads inclined towards that direction.

"I like your hair," the man said, and Aya turned his gaze sharply on him. The man simply smiled, shrugging, just as Omi returned with a handful of bright flowers.

"This was paid in advanced, so there's no charge," the boy said, handing over the lurid arrangement. "Thank you for choosing Koneko no Sumu Ie."

"Thank _you_," the man said, and after retrieving his flowers, he left. Aya's eyes followed him out the door and to the car, where a suited woman was patiently waiting.

"Aya-kun?"

He looked over at Omi, who also glanced outside the shop but in an entirely different direction. "Aya-kun, isn't that...?"

Aya followed his gaze and frowned, reaching into his pocket and taking out the cell phone he earlier tucked away. It was buzzing, and the caller ID was showing it as an unknown number. Omi was curiously looking at him now, opening his mouth to ask where he'd gotten the phone and why he was taking off his work apron; Aya ignored the boy's sudden sputtering as he set the broom against a shelf and hung his apron there.

"I'll be back."

And moments later, he was staring down into startled amethyst eyes. He sat down across from Rei just as she half-rose, her expression inquiring. Wordlessly, Aya set the phone onto the table and slid it across to her; she didn't take her eyes off his face. For a minute the two sat there, quietly determining the other's purpose; it was only interrupted when the waitress cleared her throat impatiently.

"The iced tea, please," Rei said, glancing away and covering her phone with a shaking hand. The waitress quickly scribbled it down before turning to Aya with a pleasant smile.

"And for _you_?"

"…strawberry pancakes."

"Oh." The waitress blinked at his stoic answer, nodding slightly. "Okay. I'll... be back."

Rei leaned on her elbow, cupping her chin in her hand as she watched the world pass by outside. Her fingers tapped her phone in an almost hypnotizing rhythm – dududum, dududum, dududum, over and over again and Aya almost wished that he hadn't given it back. He glared at that phone, with its chipped corner and red star charm. What had he been doing at that shrine, anyway? Why had he been so insistent to himself that he had to follow? Ken and Youji could take care of themselves. And, despite what he thought of her being an addition to the team, Minako knew what she was getting herself into.

"Pancakes, huh?"

His gaze snapped to her, and he found his glare darkening at her amused, teasing expression. She was still looking outside, still tapping her phone, and Aya crossed his arms.

"Didn't think you were that kind of guy."

Rei spun her phone on the surface of the table in a circular motion. He watched her evenly, willing his eyebrow not to twitch in annoyance. There was no way he'd let this girl affect him like Youji did.

"Ne, isn't that the girl you're with? Kudou told me."

His head spun towards where her line of sight was, and he frown deepened. Trust Youji to be a jackass and make him out to be some kind of skirt chaser. Aya didn't miss the laughter Rei held back at seeing his disposition. Tomoe Sakura was lingering around the shop, engaged in conversation with Omi. For a second she glanced back at the café, but after another word from Omi, she resigned and turned.

"Fujimiya, I'm meeting with someone here. Thanks for returning my phone. I'll make sure to get your pancakes to you."

The phone spun to a gradual stop, and her hand lay still on the table. Rei avoided looking at him, at his eyes that reflected everything she was afraid she was becoming. The two seconds they had made eye contact, she could see and feel his anguish. She could see the blood on his hands and the lives he held by the throat. She could see his thirst for vengeance, his struggle for—forgiveness? Redemption? It was in those eyes, those eyes that were_ so much like her own_, that she could see every ounce of pain imaginable in the world, with only a tiny speck of hope to keep them alight.

The phone buzzed and Rei realized that she had already been caught in that amethyst trap. She tore her gaze away from his calculating one, staring instead at the vibrating phone. Unknown caller. Wordlessly, wearily, she flipped it open and put it to her ear.

"Rei?"

…what?

"Rei, is that you? Um... if you can hear me, make the sound Luna does when we try to give her a bath."

Rei could feel a smile creeping onto her face, though the worry knotted at the bottom of her stomach didn't subside. "Usagi, you're stupid."

On the other line, Tsukino Usagi gave an indignant huff. "I resent that! I call to make sure you're fine and you make fun of me!"

"Yeah, yeah." Rei looked out the window again, trying to ignore Aya's keen glance. "Of course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"That's good! I just—Rei?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me—promise me you'll be smart."

"...what are you talking about, Usagi?"

"Just—no matter what happens, don't do anything that'll put yourself in danger, okay?"

"Usagi—"

"I'm serious!" Her tone of voice was starting to get somber, and Rei sat up, frowning. "Please, just tell me—"

"Usagi, don't be ridiculous."

"Rei—"

She was cut off by another voice, a sickeningly cheery tone that Rei remembered as the man from earlier. At his words, she felt the knot in her stomach untangle to do a flip. "Hello, Takatori?"

"What did you do?"

"Ah, good. We just wanted to let you know that we have collateral." In the background, Rei could hear Usagi shouting. "Rei, I'm okay, don't listen to them! I'm fine, Mamoru's with me, it's okay!"

"Dear me," the man continued, "our new pet rabbit is quite noisy."

A gunshot. The blood drained out of Rei's face.

"Now, are you willing to listen?"

"Don't touch her."

"I'm afraid you're not in the position to make requests, Takatori. Tell me why you brought that man with you to our private meeting?"

"If you hurt her, I will kill you." No matter Aya's sudden sharp glare or the waitress's raised eyebrows as she set the drink and pancakes down. "That is not an idle threat."

Another gunshot resounded, followed by a muffled sob. "Oops. My friend just can't control himself. Someone call the medics, please? We can't have him bleeding to death."

"What—"

"If you give me Takatori Masafumi's files on genetic manipulation with human DNA and a desired species', then I will let them live."

Rei couldn't respond. Her soul flared up, shouting and fighting, tearing at her insides, but her lips refused to move and the phone slid out of her grasp. It fell with a clunk onto the table; her hand remained by her ear, trembling the slightest.

Aya didn't hesitate and brought her phone to his ear.

"—still there? Such a shame, really, your friend and her fiancé here were having quite a happy time. This must be a terrible damper on their vacation." A sigh. "Anywho, get me the Takatori files and we'll ever forget this happened. Bye!"

The other line went dead. Aya frowned, closed the phone, and turned to Rei. She had recomposed herself, her face set determinedly with a slight tilt of the chin. They locked gazes once more, one set of violet burning with a fire while the other quenched their questions. Then they both stood up, Rei taking her drink and Aya packing up his pancakes.

"Fujimiya," she said quietly. "I need your help."

**xxx**

Minako bit her thumb, frowning and scrunching up her face. After a moment she started to mumble in English.

Youji stared at her, eyebrows raised. "Minako," he said, shuffling leftover flowers from one arm to the other, "what are you saying?"

"I don't know!" The blonde threw her hands in the air in frustration, not noticing that she had smacked Ken right in the face. The ex-soccer player flailed back a bit, glaring defiantly at Youji's amused snort. "I used to live in London and now I can't even get my pronouns right!"

"Pronouns?"

Minako heaved a sigh, hanging her head. She trudged ahead, grabbing the handle of the shop door and yanking it open. "There'd better be an extra drink in the fridge for me, after all this walking around. Still can't believe your Seven's in the shop—oh, Ami!"

Youji snaked his arm around Minako's, having handed the remaining flowers to Ken. He grinned at the medical student, winking. "Hey, Ami." To his intent, the addressed doctor blushed and ducked her face away from him, mumbling a hello.

"Mizuno," Ken greeted, his earlier sour mood forgotten. "Hey, are you okay? You're all red."

And once again Youji had to remind himself that yes, Ken was indeed tactless when it came to women—or, actually, people in general. He was never going to get a girl, seriously. Rolling his eyes, the proclaimed player made his way towards the mini kitchen in the back. "Anything to drink?"

"Yeah, can you get me a water?"

He was going to strangle Ken one of these days. Ignoring the request, he turned to Ami. She declined politely, shaking her head. "I already have a coffee, thank you."

Minako, helping herself to the plate of cookies set conveniently on the counter, perched on a stool and leaned forward. "Ami, if I knew you were going to come, I would've gotten back sooner. We got done with deliveries early; Ken and Youji and I were just walking around for the last half hour."

"Actually," Ami said, wringing her hands and glancing away, "Rei called me here. She's in the back with Makoto right now."

"Eh?" The cookie slipped out of Minako's grasp and crumbled to the floor. "You met up with Rei?"

"Minako." Ami looked up, and Minako braced herself at the sight of distress in her friend's face. "Usagi and Mamoru have been kidnapped."

"How?" was the first thing that came out of her mouth, even though she wanted to know who, where, why. _Why_ Usagi, _why_ Mamoru?

"Tsukiyono is trying to track the call. Makoto thinks it's a trap—she just talked to Luna yesterday. But they're not picking up their—_phones_." Ami glanced fleetingly at the perplexed Ken and surprisingly calculated look on Youji's face. "I haven't tried... anything else." She hadn't consulted her mini-computer. It would've been much easier, locating Usagi's energy, but not with Weiss around. Ami had promised herself—promised Minako—that she wouldn't get dragged into their business. How was it that trouble came dragging itself into her life? Granted, taking up an internship at one of Kritiker's hospital was practically opening the door, but still...

"Why Rei?"

Ami knew why—she had always known why, ever since they were young and fighting youma in short skirts and heels. It hadn't taken that much research to dig up old files of Takatori Reiji. For such a powerful man, his security system was faulty.

"I don't know."

But just because Ami knew didn't mean she had to tell. She wrapped her hands around the mug before her. It was cold now, having been sitting untouched for a half hour. She avoided Youji's piercing gaze, Ken's questioning looks and Minako's silent plea. There was nothing they could do now except wait. Wait for Omi to find something, wait for Makoto to come back with a plan, wait for Aya to silently take charge. They could do nothing except wait for Rei's decision—because, Ami realized, that was the thing that mattered most. It was her decision whether or not to work with them, whether or not to momentarily give up all thoughts of overthrowing her father's empire in order to cooperate with Kritiker.

Ami hoped that her friend could only see that there were more than two choices.

"Ken," Minako said, breaking the still atmosphere, "can you get a hold of Hotaru?"

"...yeah. I can." With a backwards glance at the grim-faced blonde, Ken made his exit from the room, but not before exchanging a look with Youji.

She had her phone out, pressing it to her ear. "Katarina, it's me. We're going to have to post-pone dinner, sorry. Next time, alright?" Minako stood up after leaving the message, running a hand through her hair. "How long will it take Omi?"

"A few more minutes," Makoto said as she came in through the door Ken exited. "He's really working hard."

"That's our chibi for you," Youji commented, turning back to the coffee pot. He'd already started brewing the coffee; no use in wasting a good, warm drink. Watching Minako lead the tall brunette outside, he occupied himself with finding a mug; putting a kitchen and extra rooms inside a flower shop had to be an architect's idea of a joke. He could never remember where he placed anything.

Straightening up from the cupboard, Youji lifted his sunglasses from his eyes. A hand stuck out a cup in front of his face; he blinked. "Ami?"

"It was just on the counter."

"Ah. I see." Disarming grin. "Thank you."

He expected the young woman to redden, but she just returned his smile with one of her own. "Kudou... With Minako, you shouldn't try so hard."

Already he didn't like the direction of the conversation. Shaking his head, flashing his pearly white teeth, Youji let a chuckle escape his lips. "Of course I have to try hard. Capturing the heart of a woman isn't a fickle choice."

Ami shook her head, persistent. "No, I meant—Minako is a genuine person. She'll smile and laugh with you."

"I know."

"She'll cry, too."

He didn't know what to say to that.

"Please understand, I'm not trying to pry," Ami continued, aware her words had frozen his smile and clenched his fist. "But Minako is very dear to us. In some ways, the five of us are all we have. I can't guarantee that Mako-chan or Rei will act rationally if Minako were to get hurt."

"And you?"

Ami smiled. "I'm not one to physically get into conflicts."

Youji finally blinked, and the clouded expression on his face faded away. He turned back to the coffeepot, asking with a lilt in his voice, "Was that an idle threat?"

"Not at all, Kudou-san."

Because Mizuno Ami never made threats. She only made sure that her friends wouldn't get hurt.

**notes** because i can totally see ami being a secret badass like that.

i'm terribly sorry for the 2+ months in tardiness, guys. i know i said there'd be an early chapter, but things (school :x haaaa) unexpectedly came up and it's been busy. but i've got my groove back, found where I want this story to go and. well. :D. haha i'll do my best to try to get the next chapter out before the new year. fighting!

i've never written ami before (HAHA CAN YOU TELL?). but augh she's just so interesting, with all these layers of intelligence and whatnot. i'm scared to write usagi; there's such a fine line between stupid and naive. and aya makes my head hurt.

rei's going to have a lovesquare. :x AHAHAHAHHAHAA yeah.

i think i'm starting to run out of things to say here. :(

anywho, thanks for sticking with it! hope the holidays are great for you guys.  
thankyou for reading and love to my reviewers!


	12. 11: liar

**chapter eleven: liar**

Manx didn't know how or why it happened – it just did, and the only thing that concerned her at the moment was to _get the hell out of there_. She hid behind a thick pillar, clutching the folders to her chest. Gunshots reverberated around as suited men ran past, urgently calling out to one another. Manx closed her eyes, took a deep breath and held it. The footsteps traveled farther away, slowly fading into echoes as the men chased their supposed target out of the underground parking lot.

It was then Manx let out her breath and took out her cell phone. She dialed the number without looking, placing the phone to her ear with apprehension. With the other hand, she took two papers from the folder and stuffed them in the front of her shirt.

"Manx."

"Persia," she said, "Code blue."

There was silence on the other line. Manx peeked around the corner, making sure that she was indeed in the clear, before she darted to the car. She swiftly started it and backed out of the parking space, the phone still attached to her ear. She could hear Persia's breathing, hear his mind work out the details as she drove. The exit approached; just as she revved the engine, the men ran back in.

It was only their split-second hesitation that saved her life. They stared at the moving vehicle, stared at it as it neared, and at the last minute they opened rapid fire. Manx, however, had already thrown herself from the car, crawling to safety behind a large van. It was a miracle that she still had her phone, the papers and her handbag, having crawled to safety without being seen.

A moment passed, and smoke filtered the air. "Remove the vehicle from the premises and check perimeters," one man called, and Manx felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She closed the connection with Persia, who had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal. Her fingers moved quickly, passing over buttons as her eyes darted left and right. Footsteps neared. Her thumb hit the 'send' button, and the SMS traveled from her phone to Persia's.

Then, without a moment's hesitation, she pulled out her gun from handbag and slammed the butt of it onto the phone. It cracked. The men heard the noise, hurrying to her location; she repeated the process. The phone flew into little pieces, and she slid one part across the floor.

One of the suits spotted it and stooped low to retrieve it. _Big mistake_, Manx mused, and she looked away as a bright flash filled the parking lot. The men shouted, digging in their pockets for sunglasses, eye drops, anything; Manx held her breath and took a chance, one hand over her chest as she sprung into action. The secretary slipped off her heels and darted towards the exit, her socked feet sliding and slipping against the ground. Abruptly the sound of gunshots exploded behind her; she didn't look back. She didn't want to face the mess she created.

Just as she reached the exit, Youji pulled up in his Seven. Ken was wiggling his way in the back, making room for her in the front; wordlessly she climbed it.

"She's getting away!" one distinct shout echoed, and the rest followed after, shooting randomly. Youji _tsk_ed, flooring the accelerator; they were free. Manx closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the headrest, a sigh escaping from her lips. Ken was anxious, fidgeting to ask questions, but he held them in at Youji's stern glare.

"How did you know to come and get me?"

"Birman called. She knew I just couldn't leave a beautiful lady in distress."

"Where are you going now, Manx?" Ken ignored the look Youji gave him, focusing instead on the weary woman.

"The shop. There's someone I need to talk to."

There was another look exchanged, this time more solemn; Ken tried to shrug off the uneasy feeling on his shoulders. Rei's frantic disposition and Manx's sudden situation couldn't have just been mere coincidence on the same day. It all had to add up to something. The ex-soccer player leaned back in his seat, biting his thumb. The missing friend, and a failed mission... What did it all add up to?

"Manx, what was your mission...?"

The red-head's lips tightened as she stared out at the passing scenery. Moments passed as Youji drove on, not daring to reprimand Ken – he himself had wanted to know, wanted to puzzle together the loose pieces.

Then, "The prime minister is dead. Parliament has already voted a new leader."

Youji drove a little faster.

**xxx**

"I traced the call to a café in Minato," Omi said, and Rei lunged at him, grabbing a fistful of his sleeve as she glared into the screen.

"Minato? That's..." She trailed off, staring at the letters on the screen. There, highlighted in yellow and standing out from the rest, was the name of the café. She felt her stomach flip as she silently mouthed the word.

"What is it?" Aya briskly asked, impatient. He straightened up from his lean against the wall, but stayed where he was as Rei turned to face him.

"It came from Crown Fruit Parlor."

She fell silent as she turned back to the computer screen. Omi saw that, although her face was quite stoic, the urgency showed clear in her eyes. She was struggling to stay composed. He found it admirable; if he were put in that situation... If, instead of her friend, it had been Ouka - or Ken, Youji, Aya - if any one of them had been taken, if their lives had been threatened, he would've acted. He would've found the offender and utilized his training ruthlessly. It would've been instinct, pure adrenaline that would've fueled his actions.

She took in a breath, and he realized then that he recognized her fierce look. For the longest of moments he'd attributed it to Aya – those eyes were the same shade, with the same depth and feeling – but he'd seen them elsewhere. Marine Cathedral. She was the red one. The one that had ran off and disappeared. The one that was so angry, juggling and dancing with flames. She was –

"Rei," Omi said, and he got a full blast of those eyes when she turned to him.

She was the one Kumada Yuuichirou had held so dear. It had to be only her.

A breathless silence filled the room; Aya watched the tension between the two. She was still hanging onto his shirt, and her grip only tightened when Omi uttered her name. There was something – this boy, she knew who he was. She'd seen him before – before Weiss, before Minako, before the flower shop. Before anything life-changing had happened.

Rei loosened her hold and let her arm fall to her side. "Omi," she said slowly, "you..."

"Why did you come to us?" Aya interrupted. She wasn't the one that had the right to question. She came to them, forcibly asked them for help, and she hadn't explained a single thing. What did she have anything to do with everything? Minako, as big as her mouth was, knew how to keep private life and private business apart. They had settled this months ago.

He didn't miss the fleetingly uneasy look on her face. Rei composed herself, steadying the shaking hand. Omi was still watching her, still looking perplexed and still puzzling the pieces together.

"Because you're –"

It was at that moment, before anyone could react, that the door flew open and in strode Manx, pulling papers from the front of her shirt and thrusting them at Omi.

"Fax to Birman ASAP," she said, and Omi complied wordlessly. The red-head turned to Rei, taking the younger woman by the shoulders and shaking her head. "Your father plays dirty."

"What?"

"Aya," Manx commanded, "call everyone else in."

In a somewhat sulky manner, Aya tossed her the remote before ducking out of the door. Manx clicked on the television set, her hand still on Rei's shoulder. "Watch. It will come on soon."

Omi stepped back from the computer, moving to get a good view of the screen. Five minutes passed – Aya still wasn't back with the others. He opened his mouth to make that remark, when suddenly the news blared to life with an emergency broadcast.

"This just in – the Prime Minister has recently just – passed away? What? Is this right?" The anchorman was bewildered, glancing off to the side at his coworkers. "This can't possibly be right – I'm sorry," he apologized to the viewers, "a moment please." He was getting up now, appearing off screen; the co-anchorwoman fidgeted in her seat, looking on with unease.

A moment passed, and the reporter came back in, pale and stricken with grief. "This just in – the Prime Minister has passed away in his home around 9:36 this morning. He was found at his desk. Investigation is under way. While there isn't any physical evidence of foul play, police are on the lookout for the first assistant, Kaidou –"

Rei had turned on her heel, and tore the door open. "Minato, you said?"

Omi numbly nodded, his eyes still fixed on the television.

She was out of the room. As soon as the door shut at Rei's heels, Manx let out a sigh and dipped her head into her hands. The mission had gone horribly, horribly wrong. The prime minister – dead. The only suspect – missing. It had been a simple undercover mission – go in, get papers, get out. Never in a million years would she have expected something so revolutionary.

"Manx," Omi softly asked, watching as a special broadcast came up to cover the circumstances of the death. He saw his uncle, Takatori Shuuichi, standing off to the side of the crowd, but looking quite comfortable in the presence of cameras. It was an emergency press conference, addressed by the head of the National Police Agency. Funny how, amidst all the chaos, his uncle seemed so charismatic. It was he whom his eyes were drawn to – not the NPA head, but instead the figure standing still next to a cluster of cameras and microphones. Was it the Takatori blood that made him so compelling? Omi frowned. Was it that lifestyle he would soon come to know?

"We just saw the broadcast," interrupted a hesitant voice at the door. Ken, followed by the rest of Kritiker-hired agents, sidled in, but he was the only one who could bring himself to speak. "What happened? What you said… it's really true?"

Manx paused. Then she steeled her gaze and straightened her shoulders. If there anything she could do, it would be to remain collected. Persia wouldn't have expected any more out of her. "My mission was simple undercover work. I was to retrieve documents on Esset from the Prime Minister's personal office, which was successfully completed."

"How?"

"He gave them to me." Manx glanced at the perplexed look on Minako's face. "I simply asked, and he gave them to me. Then he took a drink of his tea, had a seizure, and fell over. I don't know what happened, but I got out of there as fast as I could. When you arrived – Ken, Youji – his men were on the assumption that I had killed him."

She glanced at every face, measuring them. They all took to this news in different ways – Mizuno Ami, for example, was calculating. Manx didn't need to ask. She could see the wheels moving, the thoughts ticking. It was in the way the doctor bit her lips, folded her arms, and furrowed her brow. Minako, on the other hand, was utterly baffled. That much was evident in the way she glanced from Aya to Omi, as if either of the two could prove Manx's words to be true. Makoto seemed to be the one trying to reason with herself. She was assuring herself that something would be done, that something _could_ be done.

Youji seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as he slowly lit up a cigarette. Manx could judge by Aya's annoyed glance at him that the red-head was hardly affected. All that meant to him was a bigger death toll on Takatori's head. She frowned the slightest; his thirst for vengeance was, at times, frightening. And then there was Ken, with his trembling form and clenched fists. He always had been the rash one, the ready-to-fight kind of guy.

Manx decided then that she didn't like examining the people that worked under her. She glanced briefly at Omi – young, wide-eyed Omi, child-like in appearance but wise beyond his years. He met her gaze steadily, with a small smile at his lips. That one look, that little grin, was all she needed.

"Mizuno, I want you to get on scene. Be present at the autopsy and report back right after."

"I was just about to request permission to do so," the young woman responded. With a light touch at Minako's shoulder and a nod to Makoto, she was out the door.

"Omi, get footage from the security cameras. We're looking from 7:00AM to 10:00AM." Manx swiftly turned to Makoto next. "Contact Botan. Tell him to leave his post and to return back to Japan immediately. Find Birman and stick with procedure."

"Right," Makoto said, nodding her head as Omi slid his keyboard into his lap. As she made her exit, the rest of Weiss waited for their orders.

"Youji, Aya, Ken. Minako. Stay put."

And with that, she disappeared into the kitchen to make some coffee. Hell, she needed it.

**xxx**

Schuldig couldn't see the future, but he didn't need to have clairvoyance to know who it was that threw the door open and rushed up the stairs. It was a matter of process of elimination – Farfarello was locked up in his straightjacket. And although Schuldig wouldn't put it past him to somehow get out of the restraint and break out of the room, it was highly unlikely. The Irishman knew enough to stay where he was.

Crawford never slammed doors; that was self-explanatory.

It could have been the kid – but then again, the kid was stuck at school. There _was_ the possibility that Nagi had finally had enough, blown up all the pieces of chalk in a fit of rage, and stormed his way back home. Schuldig easily dismissed that thought; everyone knew how much the kid practically worshipped Crawford; there was no way he'd do something to mess anything up.

That left the girl, and he sighed as he swung his legs down from the couch. He could hear her slam another door shut and tear open closets. Her footsteps were frantic, pitter pattering through the ceiling. Schuldig frowned, ascending up the stairs; he mentally probed her mind in preparation.

Then, "Oh shit."

Oh shit because Kaidou had acted in advanced.

Oh shit because their trump card – the princess and her prince – had been stolen from them.

Oh shit because Crawford probably already knew it was going to happen but didn't tell any of them – which meant that Nagi was going to feel disowned, and that Farfarello would sulk over the fact that he missed an opportunity to kill.

Schuldig redid the bandana in his hair as he nudged the door to the room open with his foot. He found Rei standing in the middle, staring blankly at the pristine white walls. Ah, yes. Crawford's room. Crawford's lifeless, dull room. Schuldig stuck his hands in his pockets, a frown puckering his lips. "Yo."

"Where's – he?"

She was watching the clock by the bed. The second-hand ticked on, and she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"At a business meeting."

"I have to talk to him."

Why was his room so barren?

"Don't we all?"

He blinked as her hands were suddenly on his shoulders, her violet eyes glaring into his. "Schuldig," she said evenly, despite the trembling of her hands, "I need help."

He wasn't going to let himself get lost in that ocean. No way. He knew better than that.

"Please."

"_My_ help?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes, but not moving otherwise. "Why don't you just ask the kittens again?"

He should've been angrier. He should've been furious, given his infamous temper around the house. He felt it boiling deep inside him, the rage building up. Looking into those eyes, feeling those hands clenched on his shoulders – he wanted to throw her off, tell her to deal with it herself. But Crawford – damn Crawford and his plots that couldn't be thrown off course.

Her lips tightened and she broke off, throwing her attention over his shoulder. "Maybe I will," she all but hissed, and he grabbed her arm roughly once more.

"Don't."

It was only a truth Schwarz never betrayed each other.

Her cheeks colored – from anger? embarrassment? he couldn't tell – and she glared at him. "Let go of me."

_You won't go to Weiss_.

"Let go of me!"

_You won't._

"You can't – don't try to –!"

_Don't_.

Rei fell silent, glancing away, her eyes moving from the bed to the closet to the door. Anywhere but at him. Schuldig dully noted that yes, his persuasive manipulation seemed to be working. He could force her to stay if he wanted, make her feel like she was tired or lazy. But forcing wasn't nearly as fun as persuading; the subject would be convinced it was their own actions, not someone else's. And when they found out that they were at the will of another – well. That's when it was entertaining for him.

Schuldig was good as guilty.

Rei shook her head, slowly pulling her arm away. She still wasn't looking at him, and for a moment looked like she was going to collapse – under stress? But then, with her jaw set, she shook her head again. "Sorry. I'm going."

And before he could catch her (who was he kidding? he could've gone after her, could've pulled her back and made her stay, but he didn't want to), she had flown out the door.

"Oh shit," he said to the empty room.

Because that meant calling Crawford. And calling Crawford usually ended up in another job, which meant letting Farfarello free. Usually the prospect would enlighten him, but he knew that job would be to cover the girl's ass before she did any real damage.

"Shit," Schuldig repeated as he dialed Crawford's number.

Life suddenly became a new level of complicated.

**xxx**

Youji retreated to his room, faintly annoyed but not really too worked up about it to actually do something. As much as he loved Manx – as much as he loved her legs and those heels and that hair – she had a stick right up her butt, and he didn't want to be around to be on the receiving end of her hissy fit. Yeah, okay. So the big PM was dead.

It wasn't like they really cared.

As he lit his cigarette, he sighed. Yeah, he knew he should care. After all, he was the man that pulled the strings in Japan. Duh. But compared to what _he_ did every night, it was just another homicide. Something thrown into a file, only to be dug up and finished later. He spent his nights scouring streets for 'dark beasts,' while the prime minister turned a blind eye to everything. He spent the nights ending lives – saving them? – while the prime minister instead focused on the media. He spent the nights tormented by demons, while the prime minister slept like a baby next to his wife.

Good riddance, was what he'd wanted to say when he saw the news.

Some days, Youji wanted to just stay in the flower shop. Flirt with the roses, get some numbers, drink coffee and watch TV. He wanted to relax, close his eyes and not be haunted by the images of wires and blood and Asuka and bullets. He'd given up sleep long ago, deciding to drown his sorrows in the company of women. Sometimes it worked. And sometimes it didn't.

Tapping his cigarette on the ash tray, Youji moved towards the closet. He pulled off his shirt and discarded it there. Might as well get at least some kind of shut-eye. He found naps at daytime to be more satisfying than at night; the sunlight fought off any images the dark might have produced.

Lying down on his bed, the lanky man stretched and rolled onto his side. All this prime minister business was really wearing him out. He could see it in his teammates, too – Omi was shut-off, distant and focused completely on the task at hand. He was reviewing every minute, every _second_, of the security footage. It was almost obsessive, and it unnerved Youji to watch. Omi had never been like this before – it was as if he were trying to prove something.

Then again, the kid always was an overachiever. Youji sighed; what had Kritiker done to him? To all of them?

The door to his room interrupted his flow of thought, opening without a knock, and Youji sat up, on guard. He relaxed a bit and blinked when he saw it was Minako, who closed the door shut behind her and locked it. Wordlessly, she pushed him back onto the bed, taking the ribbon out of her hair and shaking it out.

"Minako –"

She fought off his words with her lips, dipped her body into his, and together they forgot.

**xxx**

Nagi somehow found himself walking home with Hotaru.

It hadn't been intentional; she had bumped into him after hurrying her way somewhere. She'd almost gone her own way, but after a second thought decided to follow his path. She was avoiding something; her phone kept going off, but instead of answering, she muted it every single time. She was currently biting her thumb nail, deep in thought, but still managing to trace his footsteps perfectly.

He wasn't going to ask her what she was doing. They weren't enemies, but they weren't allies either.

"Naoe," Hotaru said quietly, and he stopped, turning around. She was a good three meters or so behind him – why didn't he notice that she'd stopped? "I need to speak with Crawford."

Nagi felt a little something spark in him. He shrugged listlessly, although his eyes watched her – watched her check her phone for a quick second before putting it away in her bag. Who was calling her? And why didn't she just turn it off instead of muting it? Hotaru was biting her thumb again, looking almost anxious.

"Please."

He realized that little something was annoyance. Because no, he didn't want to take her to Crawford – Crawford was _theirs_,Crawford belonged to _Schwarz_. He knew all about the meetings between their Crawford and her guardians; he knew that they were involving him more and more in matters that didn't even pertain to Esset.

The phone beeped once more, and Hotaru pulled it out again. Nagi fought against the urge to crush it into pieces with his mind, and only succeeded in quelling the thought when she answered.

"Yes."

He saw her pale (a feat in itself, considering her complexion was already an unhealthy white) at the caller's words. She was staring at him, right into his eyes, down to his soul; he felt naked, despite his uniform and the coat. She was seeing every part of him and not even paying attention to what she was finding, focused completely on the caller yet immersed in his being.

"I understand," she said softly. And after she closed her phone, she took his hand in hers. "Naoe, you might never have done this before, but I'm asking you to bring me somewhere."

She was touching him. He didn't like it. "What do you mean?"

Hotaru smiled lightly, despite the unease in her eyes. "You're a telekinetic – you can move things, but it goes deeper than that - molecular control. You could, for example, control the weather. Make lightning strike wherever. Or you could even move instantaneously from one spot to another."

It was dawning on him. Nagi stared into her eyes. Was she crazy?

"In other words, teleport."

**xxx**

The taxi putted off as Rei stepped to the curb, looking up at the sign hanging above the awning of the shop. Crown Fruit Parlor. The place still looked the same – the paint was still bright, the windows still clear and polished. If she had gone back through time, reversed a couple of years, she would've seen Unazuki sliding parfaits down the counter and Motoki laughing with a couple of customers. She would've seen a gaggle of girls gossiping in a booth by the window, empty glasses with straws in them scattered about. She would've seen one of the girls cry for a second drink while another reminded her that her allowance had already been spent. She would've seen the two get into a heated argument, only to be quelled when Motoki offered them a second round on the house.

A burning sensation flared at the memory, and Rei yanked the door open.

It was deserted inside.

Clenching her hand into a fist, she made her way through the empty café. Dust littered the area, covering every spot there was available – it was as if no one had been in here in ages. But hadn't Omi said the call was made from the very place she was standing? He would've told her if it were _outside_ of Crown Fruit Parlor – but that blinking dot had been traced to inside. To a booth by the window.

To the booth where she, Minako, Makoto, Ami and Usagi had always sat in.

Rei slammed her hands down on the table, sending a spray of dust to parade in the air. It didn't make sense – this had to be the spot. It _was_ the spot. Was she overlooking something? An unknown variable affecting the equation? But what? What else could there possibly be?

It was getting hard to breathe; the air was stuffy, the heat uncomfortable. Rei stood up, her hands at the edge of the booth – and paused. Something was taped under there. She snatched it fervently, clasping her hand around it. Her finger brushed against a button; a voice started speaking from the small black box.

It was a tape recorder.

"Hi, Rei," the voice said. There was a pause as the person cleared his throat "Well, um. I guess you've found some really good people to ally yourself with, if you found this.

"I'm really sorry. For everything."

She recognized that voice.

"Um. Well, I did end up getting married. After we... said our goodbyes. Your father was at the wedding. And, well. I was surprised that you weren't either." He cleared his throat again, obviously uncomfortable. "I know you were angry that I left like that. But I just thought that maybe... You still would've been there."

She didn't even know about the wedding. Rei slowly sank back into the booth, dust crawling over her skin.

"I've been promoted. Several times. I'm direct assistant to the prime minister now. Your father helped me along the way. I should be grateful, but I can't be. Not after he made me leave you."

No. She shook her head. Her father didn't make him do anything.

"There's a… plot going on. This is a warning for you. To you." The voice grew stronger. "Although I'm working closely with the prime minister, in the end, I'm still connected to your father. It's not something that I can prevent – politics is dirty."

Then why was he still a part of it all?

"Rei... Soon your world will turn upside down. This tape is the just the start of it. I've been keeping track of you – more specifically, who you're associated with now. I'm sorry that you had to fall into such a tainted world – but you haven't even scratched the surface yet. People will be out for your blood. They know how important you are – to your father, to Esset, to Japan. They know you can change the world. Be careful.

"I don't know when you'll hear this tape. Maybe I'll be dead; maybe I'll still be in hiding. Most likely it will be the former. If you can, I'd like to ask you for a favor. I know I'm not in the position to do so, but I'm begging. Please tell the Furuhata family that I'm sorry for their loss – that it was something that could not have been deterred. As for Tsukino Usagi – if it isn't too late, she will be underground the headquarters of the Prime Minister's office."

There was a long silence, in which both Rei and the man in the tape recorder were suffocating.

"Rei. It would have been nice to see you again. Looking into your eyes always gave me life. If I could... If I could turn back time, somehow. I would have stayed with you for a moment longer. I would never have let go as quickly as I did."

In the background, there was a shuffling of papers.

"About Mamoru. He is not dead, and there are claws that are eager to grab onto him."

Her breath hitched. Her youngest brother, still alive?

"You are a butterfly, Rei, and your wings can either save lives or destroy them.

"It's just a pity that in my case, it was the latter."

The tape recorder clicked, and Kaidou's voice faded into the stale air.

A second later, the recorder exploded.

**notes**

I LIED TO YOU GUYS SORRY I STILL LOVE YOU

the reason for the really horribly late update is because... this chapter never came out the way i wanted it to. it was really frustrating to try to get the right balance of action and suspense, while at the same time get all the info that i wanted to get out; what's posted here is the best of all the trials. i'm sorry if it doesn't meet standards (because i sure as hell am not satisfied), or if it raises more questions instead of answering them.

i hope the cliffhanger doesn't upset yall as much as it upsets me. :(

anywho, thank you for reading and sticking with it. i apologize for the nasty year months it took for me to update. the next part's gonna be loaded with action and angst – a little less melodrama and more nitty gritty.

thanks again for reading!


	13. 12: mais demain et mes deux mains

**chapter twelve: mais demain (mes deux mains)**

Nagi threw his arms around her and forced them out of the building. He felt the heat soar at his face as he deposited her a block away--heard the shrieks from nearby shoppers and saw the screeches of tires as cars veered off course. The explosion was minimum, but it had done its damage--and, as he looked down at Rei and his heart leapt into his throat, he found himself hoping (_hoping_?) that it was reversible.

Nagi glanced up again at the remains of Crown Fruit Parlor and the flames that engulfed its very existence. Then, without a second thought, he wrapped his arms around the semi-conscious Rei and teleported again. He dropped them in a room in the Parliament building, expecting to see Hotaru, but a little more surprised to see Schuldig pouring her tea.

As soon as they materialized, Hotaru shot up. The tea spilled onto the carpet, but she ignored it; her hands flew to Rei, eyes narrowed in worry. "You got there in time?"

"I did," Nagi said softly. He watched as the young girl's hands glowed--and the side of Rei's face that had burned melted back into porcelain features. The open gash that stretched from shoulder to abdomen sealed itself together, and the skin that had been torn off started to regrow. Any injury the priestess had obtained was chased away, all wounds healed.

Rei, however, didn't open her eyes, even as Hotaru pulled her hands away and leaned back into the chair wearily.

"It's lucky," she murmured, "that Crawford-san called me."

Nagi kept quiet, fighting down the jealousy that started to bubble up. He busied himself with cleaning up the tea, which both Hotaru and Schuldig seemed to ignore. They were having a private conversation via the German's telepathy--with every second that passed, Schuldig's grin appeared to be less jovial.

"You expect to stay away from Rosenkreutz?"

Hotaru frowned at his verbal question. Rosenkreutz, Esset's school for experimenting on the gifted. "I have gone this far."

"You realize we work for Esset?"

"Yes," the girl said simply, "and I also realize that you do not."

Schuldig seemed satisfied with this, although his wary glance at the door told Nagi otherwise.

"Who are we waiting for?"

"His Highness himself," Schuldig said. As Nagi deposited used paper towels into the waste bin, he watched Schuldig watching Rei. There was familiarity in his eyes and--dare he say it?--grace in his face. Schuldig was thinking, but it wasn't the kind of thinking that Nagi thought he was only capable of--it was _real_ thinking, not manipulating and planning. There was no prying into her mind or messing around with her thoughts. Schuldig was looking at Rei like an equal--like a member of Schwarz.

_But she wasn't._

Nagi closed his eyes, sorting out his thoughts. _We are just using her_, he firmly thought to himself. _She is just a pawn_. And something awkward happened, something stirred in his chest. Random objects started levitating--the teacup, some napkins, a few pencils. He forced them to drop and ignored Hotaru's curious glance.

They were using Rei. She would help them climb up the ladder. They would bring her closer to Takatori Reiji. And, when the time came, they would let the two kill each other. It was pathetic how twisted the Takatori clan had become, but Nagi felt no pity. Hirofumi had been a joke to begin with, and Masafumi was a nuisance. Esset had assigned Schwarz to watch over Reiji, to make sure he could reach the prime minister seat without trouble.

Esset didn't tell them to guarantee that Reiji would live past his first day as prime minister.

The organization still didn't know they had Rei working with them--it was thanks to Crawford's smooth words. It was dangerous, what they were doing, but Crawford and Schuldig seemed to be living only for the moment when they would throw Esset down. Rei was a powerful (if temporary) asset to their group, and Nagi knew that Crawford would rather let Farfarello run rampant in the streets than give Rei up to Rosenkreutz.

The door opened at that moment and Crawford, impeccable in his cream suit, said to Schuldig, "Wake her up. It's time."

Nagi stood up, wearily watching as Rei's eyelid started to flutter open. Crawford turned to Hotaru.

"Tomoe, you're no longer needed."

Nagi had to give the girl some credit; instead of cowering and flinching out the door, she smiled. "On the contrary, Crawford, I believe we have some business to take care of."

Crawford's gaze did not waver. He must have known, Nagi suspected. Well, of course. Crawford _always_ knew.

"There are more important matters at hand," Crawford dismissed. Rei was coming to; she was sitting up, with Schuldig at her elbow. The telepath was taking an unusually careful approach to bringing her to her feet. Nagi noticed.

"Takatori Reji means nothing to me," Hotaru said, and all the pleasantries were gone in her voice. She was cold now, almost as fierce as her adoptive parents, but the voice did not fit the image of the face that accompanied it. "I don't care about his affairs or any affairs around him. What matters to me is that you tell me where Michiru and Haruka are."

Nagi fetched a pot of tea when Schuldig pointed at it. Schuldig poured a bit into a small ceramic cup, taking Rei's hands and curling her fingers around it. "Better?"

She stared at him blankly.

Nagi turned his attention back to Crawford and Tomoe. Crawford was leaning over a small table, working a pen over a napkin. He was murmuring to the younger girl softly, but harshly—directions, Nagi knew. And it was then he realized—maybe there was a benefit in allying with Tomoe after all. If Crawford could kneel down to her height and look her in the eye and tell her what exactly to do and how to do it—then maybe she was alright.

Alright or not, though, she was not keen on staying. She smiled at Crawford, nodded at Nagi, met Schuldig's gaze and waved farewell to Rei. Then the small girl was out the door; as she disappeared, Nagi could see the armed men standing right outside.

"Crawford," Rei said, and as everyone turned to her, they could see she was vulnerable. Her voice was strong, but her eyes were tired. "Where is she?"

Crawford looked at her, and for a moment Nagi thought he saw--something. That something disappeared and Crawford walked over to her. His face was stern, his posture was straight, and his eyes were cold. But the words he spoke, despite the condescending tone, brought life to Rei:

"She is safe."

"What happened?"

Crawford was silent for a moment. It wasn't hesitation; he was watching her, studying her face, studying how the light came back into her eyes with those three words. And then he said, "Your brother found her and her fiancé in the basement of the Parliament Building. Knowing their connection to you, he brought them to his mansion."

The light faded and Rei was distraught. "Masafumi?"

"Yes."

"I'm going."

"You can't," Schuldig said suddenly. "The doors are guarded. Your father thinks we're dangerous."

"Aren't you?" Rei sniped, and she looked around the room. "Where's Farfarello?"

"On an errand," Schuldig said smoothly. "He went to get some orange juice."

Rei didn't understand the horrible pun, but Nagi did.

**xxx**

Minako swore viciously as a bullet tore into her arm. She dropped to the ground; her eyes squeezed shut as she fought the tears. It wasn't her first time getting shot (there had been some _really_ close calls in London) but that didn't lessen the pain. Drawing in a sharp breath, she attempted to tear off part of her shirt for a make-shift bandage. The stupid thing, however, would not rip.

"Damn _it_!" Minako darted off the side, out of the way of the conflict. She continued to struggle with her shirt, unable to make a rip of any kind. The blood started to drip out faster; at this rate, she was going to need to go to the hospital. Well, she should be going to the hospital _anyway_, but with the way Takatori Reiji was running the country, the hospital staff would rather have her head than help her. And it wasn't even a good shoot either; the soldier had been aiming for Ken and accidentally hit her.

"You need help?"

Youji dropped down beside her, but instead of handling her shirt, he wrapped a kerchief around her arm.

"Thanks," she gasped, but he wasn't done. He took out his wire and wound it around her kerchief. Then, with one single look, he yanked. Hard. Minako bit back the cry as she lurched forward, but Youji didn't loosen his grip. After a second, he stood back.

"Bleeding should stop for a bit. Don't overdo it."

Minako panted out a raspy, "Thanks," before she regained her balance. Using her good arm, she saluted him. "You too. That leg doesn't look great."

"I'll manage." Youji winked at her. "Come on."

She shook her head, refusing to take his hand. Ken was finishing up the last soldier with a swipe of his hand. "What's going on, Youji? Why are they targeting _us_?"

Youji shrugged. "Shit if I know," he said, and Omi appeared at his side. The youth was slightly scratched, slightly burned, but other than that he was fine.

"Takatori Reiji," he reminded them. "It seems like he found out who we are."

"But _how_?" Minako, frustrated, glared at him. "Was there an information leak?"

At this, Omi fell silent. He looked off to other end of the alleyway, where Aya and Ken were coming back to meet them. Aya was wiping the blade of his katana clean, and Ken was sighing. The latter nodded at Omi, signaling a clear, and Omi held a finger up. Just one minute.

"Omi?"

"Persia," Omi began, but he struggled with the words again. He settled to just look at her with a frown. "I don't know, Minako. I really don't know."

She seemed to slump at his answer, but Youji nodded. "Don't worry, chibi. We know all that we need to know--Manx is counting on us."

Ken waved at them, telling them to come; hastily the three broke their conversation and hurried forward. "Listen, if we can get a truck, I'm pretty sure we can get in." He held up the clothes he had stripped from a soldier. "They won't know the difference."

"It can't be this easy," Omi said. He was frowning. "It just can't be this easy."

Aya silently agreed, and his eyes lingered on Minako's bandaged arm. "Do you need to rest?"

"No," Minako said indignantly. "I'm fine."

"Okay then," Youji said, "here's the plan. We get clothes. Check. We get truck. Check."

"What?" Ken looked a bit confused. "We don't have a truck, Youj."

"Sure we do." The older man pointed out the alley. A bundle of soliders were climbing out of a jeep, headed straight for them. "We just have seven obstacles to overcome."

And of course, with Aya's speed and Ken's strength, the seven obstacles easily fell. Omi and Youji started disguising themselves in the uniform, but Minako paused. She turned her back as the others got dressed. The blonde fiddled with her gun, checking how many rounds she had left and switching on the safety. Then, as Ken put on his hat, she turned back to them.

"You guys go. I have something else to take care of."

Youji stared at her, and Ken's mouth fell open. "Minako, are you crazy?"

"No." She grinned, flashing a V sign with her fingers. "Don't worry, I'm a superhero, remember?"

Omi smiled back at her wearily, understanding. The situation with her friend never cleared up. As soon as Manx had left to check up on situations at HQ, the shop had been attacked by Takatori Reiji's army. It took a great amount of perseverance for the five of them to hold back the opposing force; no one came out unscratched.

Aya's mouth became a thin line, but he nodded. Ken reluctantly gave in; he clasped her on the shoulder. It was Youji who was unwilling to concede.

"Minako--"

"Yes, You-tan?" she said back, her voice light and airy. He frowned at her, shaking his head, but he said nothing more. At this, Minako waved them off. "Hurry and go! Save the country and become famous like me!"

No one laughed, but they appreciated her humor nonetheless. As soon as they were out of eyeshot, however, a figure dropped down behind Minako.

"Schuldig wants orange juice," Farfarello said, and Minako closed her eyes, remaining quiet. "Are you scared?"

"Kind of," she admitted, and she turned to meet his gaze. "Are you?"

Farfarello merely grinned.

**xxx**

It was hard to Rei to believe Crawford, but before she could contradict his words (Usagi was _not_ safe, she would _never_ be safe as long as she was with Masafumi), the door opened and the armed men barreled in. They aimed their rifles at Crawford, Schuldig and Nagi--Rei stood up, moving to shield Nagi (though she didn't really know why; Nagi was more than capable of taking care of himself).

"Takatori-san," one man said, "your father requests your audience."

Her audience? For what?

Wordlessly, Rei left Schwarz's side and let herself be led through the maze of corridors. She tried not to remember them—Crawford's suit, Schuldig's hair, Farfarello's scars. Nagi's eyes. She fought the images from her mind, willing herself to forget them, trying to erase them. They didn't need her, she reasoned, and she never needed them. She was being pulled into a game where she had no options, but she was going to get out. She was not going to be a pawn, but rather the fingers that trigger the move.

It did hurt, nonetheless, to carve out of a piece of her heart (Nagi always seemed so lonely but he was never truly hostile with her—and he always watched over her) and throw it out.

"Takatori-san," the armed men saluted, depositing her in front of the Prime Minister's office. Barely breathing, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"Ah," her father said, smiling a smile that was neither pleasant nor amiable, "there you are."

"Yeah," Rei replied, not wanting to argue. The door shut behind her and she stared at the scene that unfolded into her lap--her uncle was glaring at her father, and her father was smiling like he had just won everything in the world. Tiredly, slowly, she made her way across the room and next to her uncle. "You wanted to see me."

And then Schuldig's voice rang through her mind so clearly, _His desk has a folder with your name on it_.

"On the contrary," Takatori Reiji said, "I wanted _you_ to see." He paused, leaning back in his chair, studying his daughter and his brother. Shuuichi was losing, he noted. The police commissioner was shaking--fear? Anger? He was trembling. Was it rage? The prospect made him laugh. What did Shuuichi have to be angry about? "I wanted you to see the truth about this family."

Rei did not blink, and for a moment Reiji was looking at his deceased wife. He saw her straight back and proud tilt of the head and violet, _violet_ eyes that didn't waver. He saw Kikuno, and he saw the strength she had before she began to have doubts.

It almost hurt him.

"Did you know, Rei, that your mother was never sick?"

Shuuchi's lips thinned, but Rei remained expressionless. Reiji continued on.

"Kikuno was always strong. She would never let a disease kill her."

"Reiji," Shuuichi said, and his voice broke. His older brother looked at him, examined him, _dissected_ him.

"Yes, Shuuichi?"

"What are you trying to do?"

"Kill you," Reiji said simply, and Shuuichi's expression tightened. "Did you think I was blind? You defied me under my nose by sending those rats of yours out on the streets. What did you call them? White hunters?"

"Weiss," Rei said quietly, and both uncle and father stared at her.

"What did you say?"

"I believe you meant to say Weiss." She wasn't looking directly at him, but rather the portrait on his desk. A mother, father, and four children, all smiling at the camera. "Operating under Kritiker. Headed by Persia."

"Rei," her father said darkly, "what do you know about this?"

"Your bodyguards," she continued flatly, still glaring at the photograph, "denote themselves as one entity--Schwarz. They were given to you by Esset, meant to push you to the top."

Shuuichi used this moment to tuck his hand in the sleeve of his coat, feeling for the pistol holstered there. Although he had suspected that she knew of _some_ things, he never expected his niece to understand this much. Did she know what she was saying, or was she just reciting information? She was guarded, her stance defensive, yet her words were attacking.

"Tell me, did you expect to live past this day?"

Reiji had no words for his daughter. She finally raised her eyes to him, and he saw in her again his wife--except there was no strength. There was just a woman with many questions and no answers. A great amount of pain and no remedy.

"_Why did you bring me here_?"

Takatori Reiji shook his head. This was not Kikuno. This was his daughter, the very image of his wife, but she was just a valuable asset to his funds. "I brought you here," he said, regaining his sense of mind, "because you deserve to know. As the only Takatori daughter, you deserve to know."

Shuuichi narrowed his eyes.

"Your mother, legally Takatori Kikuno, had an affair with her husband's brother, a man named Takatori Shuuichi. She conceived a child and attempted to pass it off as legitimate. Her husband found out. Therefore, when that child was kidnapped, he did not pay the ransom."

A heavy silence penetrated the room, in which wheels turned and everything suddenly clicked. Shuuichi stared at his brother, stared at him hard, and shook his head. "You lie."

"Takatori Shuuichi then took the child from the kidnappers and raised him to be a killer. He intended for the child to slay his 'father,' not knowing that it was he who was the real father."

Shuuichi's mouth was dry.

"Upon thinking that the child was dead, Takatori Kikuno hung herself."

He was crying. Shuuichi felt the tears slide down his face and saw how they blurred his vision. He did not, however, look away from his brother. Reiji was smiling, taking in his brother's pain as amusement. Shuucihi was not going to give him the satisfaction of winning--he aimed the pistol at Reiji, but a shot rang out before his finger pulled the trigger.

The bullet ripped through Reiji's desk, where he had been concealing his own weapon, and tore into his chest.

"Foolish," he said, and he stood up as his brother fell down. He pressed his finger upon the intercom, requesting of his guards, "There is some trash that needs to be picked up in my office."

He left his daughter in the room with her dying uncle, but not before saying, "Do not turn out like him, Rei."

She didn't hear, as the sound of her heart breaking was too loud to her own ears.

**xxx**

His heart raced so fast that he couldn't hear anything else. Omi was throwing and cutting and stabbing, but all her could hear was the rhythm his own body was making. It was like some kind of music, and he obeyed its every order. Dance, it said, and he threw a dart. Dance, it beckoned, and he slit a throat. Dance, it pleaded, and Omi drove a knife into a body.

Then a gunshot rang through his ears and the rhythm was lost. Omi glanced wildly at his partners; Ken was asking Aya what that was, but Aya had already moved. They had all heard where it came from, and soon they were moving in unison. Takatori was just around the corner--both of them. The one they unknowingly followed and the one they despised.

When they threw open the door, they were not expecting to see a fallen body.

"Ah!" Omi didn't think twice; he was at Takatori Shuuichi's side at once, grasping his hand. Behind him, Ken and Youji stared. Although Youji had an inkling of who he was, Ken had no clue.

"Omi, who--"

"Takatori Shuuichi," Aya said evenly. "Persia."

His eyes, however, were on Rei. She was standing above the body, frozen. What was she doing there? The last he remembered, she had been on some suicide mission to find her friend. When he'd heard that the café Omi directed her to exploded, he had assumed she'd died.

But there she was, still standing, still breathing, and yet she was so _still_.

"Call for help," Omi pleaded, but Shuuichi shook his head.

"No, there's no time. Weiss," he rasped out, "I have one more mission for you all."

Omi shook his head, close to sobbing, but the other three listened closely. Briefly Shuuichi closed his eyes.

"Takatori Reiji is the man responsible for funding criminal groups like Creepers and Liott. He must not be forgiven for any of his sins."

Both Ken and Youji processed this information, though on different mindsets. Kase. Asuka.

"He has torn families apart."

Aya's eyes narrowed.

Persia issued his final order. "Hunters of the night, deny this dark beasts his tomorrow!"

"No!" Omi cried out, gripping his hand tighter. "There's still time! We can--"

"I'm so sorry..."

Never had they heard a voice so filled with pain. His gaze slowly turned to his niece, who was still watching at him blankly.

"...Kikuno." He sighed his last breath and was gone. At that, however, Rei seemed to realize what was happened. She stared at him, but her eyes cleared up. She kneeled by his side slowly, reaching a hand to brush sweaty strands of hair away from his forehead. Then she closed his eyes, shaking her head.

"My name is Rei, ojisan."

Abruptly she stood up and walked over to the Prime Minister's desk in quick strides. She reached to open a drawer, but was stopped when something pulled at her wrist--wire. Youji was close to her, almost touching, and he asked her in a low voice, "Who are you?"

She hesitated, but continued on with her task without answering him. A harsher tug pulled her back to him.

"Hino Rei," he all but hissed, "why are you here?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Why are _you_?" And with that, she slipped her arm away from his wire and scooped up a folder from the drawer. In one fluid movement, Rei ducked away from Youji's arms, and pushed herself away from the desk. He stared at her, baffled and incredulous.

"Rei-san," Omi said slowly, and she turned to face him. His cheeks were still streaked with dried tears, and for some reason she wanted to hold him and never let go. "You called him 'ojisan.'"

Rei didn't know how to respond. She looked from Ken to Aya to Youji and back to Omi, realizing she was caught. She had backed herself in a corner, and her flames would only burn her if she let them loose. Briefly the thought of Schuldig coming to help her crossed her mind--but that was stupid. The second she'd stepped out of that room, she'd felt like she was never going to see Schwarz again.

"Rei-san?"

"Yeah," she finally answered, and the day suddenly seemed so long. She'd almost died, twice--the life she was living, the love she had for her mother, had been a lie. "He's my uncle."

The shock on Omi's face was more than she expected, and the anger that consumed Aya was spilling over.

"Takatori," he said, and as he drew his blade, he became more deadly.

Rei limply held her hand out to the side, and a flame lit up the room. "Yeah."

And Aya charged forward, letting all his rage control him. He swung and stabbed and Rei ducked and twisted. He sliced her arm, her side, narrowly missed her neck and opened up her shoulder. With each second that passed, his katana was diving. She was still standing, still doing nothing but avoiding him. The fire in her hand was dimming, the focus in her eyes wandering.

And then Rei realized--_her life had been a lie_. There was only one man to answer this, and Fujimiya Aya was not the one. Abrutply she grabbed a hold of the blade, flinching at the sudden pain. "I'm sorry." His eyes widened (anger? surprise?), her blood dripped onto the carpet, and she whispered, "Fire soul."

The flames traveled up the blade and shot out at him, but she was out of the room before she could see the aftermath.

**xxx**

Takatori Reiji was not surprised to see that his daughter had caught up to him. The ladder to the helicopter was within his grasp, but he heard her cry out behind him.

"Otousan!"

Just like she had called him when she was little. Reiji turned around, ignoring the pilot's bewildered shouts. He watched as his daughter fought her way against the flames to reach him. She was bleeding, her breathing was heavy, and she just _looked so tired_. But she was his daughter--his beautiful daughter, dancing among flames, looking exactly like her mother did when he first fell in love with her.

He did not greet her as she stood before him. He briefly saw Weiss clambering out of the entrance to the roof, saw Mamoru and another man hold back the red-head. But most of all, he saw his daughter, her head tilted high--just like the night her grandfather had died.

"Let me ask you."

Her voice was like flames, drawing him nearer and burning him.

"What have you done all these years?"

What? Out of everything she could have asked--why did you kill my grandfather, why did you kill my uncle, why did you kill, why did you let greed consume you, why did you tear apart this family, why why why--she had asked him the most inane thing.

The confusion must have registered on his face, because she frowned.

"After you left me at the shrine, I went to school. I worked at that shrine. I became a priestess, and then I saw the future. Did you know I could do that?"

He hadn't. The red-head of Weiss was calming down, staring at them.

"Do you know how hard it is to watch your friends die, and then face them tomorrow with a smile?"

She held up a hand, and it was eaten by a ball of fire. He instinctively shrunk back, amazed.

"Do you know how hard it is to have the world on your shoulders?"

"What are you talking about?" he suddenly barked. "The world on your shoulders? You think making fire and having visions means you're important? I am the Prime Minister, Rei, _I_ am important. The world is on _my_ shoulders."

Her eyes hardened and she struck a hand out--but instead of hitting him, she cried out, "Mars crystal power, make-up!"

One second his daughter had been standing there. A rush of fire and a warrior stood before him.

"I have _saved this world_," she said in a low voice. "I have saved you, your brother, your sons and your father. I've seen my friends die over and over. I've felt fear, anger, _hate_.

"While this is all a game to you, father--while you sit here and play around with lives like they're your chess pieces!--I'm putting my own life on the line to make sure that _everyone else lives_."

"Rei--"

"Do you know how many times I've died?!"

Takatori Reiji didn't know how to answer his daughter. She had always been unnecessary to him, useless in his campaign for office. When she was younger, she fought and caused trouble--broke vases and bones. Her temper was beastly, and it was always Kikuno that calmed her down. Kikuno tucked her in her arms, hushed her while her father ignored her. He never needed her.

"Do you see what you've done to this family?"

It seemed like everyone else needed her, though.

"Your wife killed herself. Hirofumi is gone. Masafumi will be gone by tomorrow, if not tonight. And Mamoru is lost--a killer, you said. Shuuichi's own."

Did she not realize that Mamoru was standing right there behind her?

"So tell me, father. _Did you expect to live past this day_?"

Takatori Reiji had, but as she stepped aside, he felt the katana plunge into his chest. Those violet eyes were not his daughter's, but they might as well have been--only her eyes (Kikuno's eyes) could make him cry.

His body lurched forward and Aya removed the katana. Rei caught him, and he looked at her. "Kikuno."

And then Rei dropped him, and he fell. She was shaking her head, her hands clenched into fists as she fought against her tears. Aya simply watched her, even as Omi and Ken and Youji came close. They had all avenged their past with years of killing and a single thrust of the blade. But this girl had none of that--all she was left with was the weight of the world.

Aya slowly placed a hand on her shoulder (she was not a Takatori, far from it) and she turned to him.

"I am not that woman. I never will be."

Rei broke down, and Aya held her.

**notes**

yezzir this chapter was a bitch to write.  
(and it's not even as long as ch. 9)  
ohohohohoho i hearts nagzter  
and hotaru.  
and maybe a little bit of crawford.

but mostly i hearts all of you that have stuck with me so far :) i'd almost given up on this story bc it's so damn complicated but the other day i was reading a discontinued story and i was so sad that it was never finished and i never wanted you guys to feel that!

(no it isn't over yet—almost, but not quite)

if anyone's curious, the main muse[s] for this chapter were mostly these two songs:  
The Fray – Say When (it kinda sounds like fight music if you concentrate really hard :x)  
Lenny Kravitz – I'll Be Waiting (omg i just saw the L movie and sweartogod kenichi is the most handsome young man i have ever laid eyes on)

sorry for the title; i don't take french class anymore so the pun is kinda lame eh

k guys idk i'm just... kinda proud of how this chapter turned out so i hope you enjoyed.  
thank you for reading :)


	14. 13: phoenix and dragon

**chapter thirteen: phoenix and dragon**

Usagi did not cry once. She had been gagged, blindfolded, shot at, and tied to a chair, but she did not cry. At all. Mamoru was worried--more than worried. He was sick from the unease he felt, queasy at the thought of his fiancé--his smiling, bright fiancé who radiated every single emotion she had in her--being so... distant. And, at the same time, he was proud of her for being so strong--ashamed at himself for being so weak.

He massaged his shoulder gently, frowning. He'd poured a little bit of energy to heal the gunshot wound earlier (because, he remembered briefly, that this was real--he'd been shot at, and he'd been hurt), but it still made him wince. He could never shake the image of Usagi's horrified face as he fell.

Mamoru leaned back, careful not to move Usagi. She was currently asleep, her head resting on his lap. He'd tried to convince her to use a pillow (the room they had been put in had come with the largest bed he'd ever seen, complete with a dozen pillows and fur blankets), but she'd refused. He brushed stray hairs away from her face, and smiled when she melted into his touch.

When they had followed the Rei's father's men out of the airport, they had not expected being abducted. The men had approached them right after they had exited the gate, claiming to be operating on Kaidou's orders--he had heard about their ties to Rei and wanted to invite them to a dinner. Mamoru had been skeptical, yes, but Usagi was all for it. She knew who he was and wanted to meet him, if not just for the fact she could reprimand him for how he treated Rei in the past. As soon as they got in the car, however, they were knocked unconscious and brought to an underground room in the parliament building.

Imagine the relief when a group of people (Usagi secretly called them the four psychotic woman) had come and rescued them. The group had brought them to a large house--Takatori Masafumi's mansion.

Having already been tricked by people who claimed to be associated with Rei, Mamoru was wary. Usagi, on the other hand, was delighted to have food and a bed. And, as they greeted Takatori Masafumi at the door and he mentioned having Rei come visit, she was ecstatic.

Mamoru, however, was not a fool. He knew something was wrong.

He only had to wait to find out.

**xxx**

"So," Youji said, "everything makes sense now."

Manx, Rei and the men of Weiss were seated around a small table. Beside Youji, Omi shifted his seat. He found his gaze straying every so often to Rei--to his sister. She, however, would not look him in the eye. He figured it wasn't anything personal to him; she avoided everyone's eyes, focusing instead to glare at the table. And Omi knew--she didn't know. She didn't know who he was, other than his given name, Tsukiyono Omi. She didn't know that they were blood, that he was her brother, that she was _not alone_ in their messed up family. That he was there, and she could lean against him and cry.

A small wave of jealousy pierced his heart as he glanced over to Aya, remembering that the tall, stoic man had been the one to console her earlier. Aya, with his vengeance for the blood of Takatoris. How ironic.

"What does?" Ken was a little bit frustrated with the situation at hand. He felt deceived by Rei--she had known all about them, and they didn't even know the one small fact that Hino was not her true family name.

"Well," Youji drawled slightly, "She's been everywhere, and she's never asked any questions."

Ken glanced over at Rei and saw that a small frown was started to form at her lips. Youji knew he was getting to her. He continued to egg her on, watching her with scrutinizing eyes. Youji was seeing what she would do, how she would react--he was testing her. In the lowest of ways, he was testing her spirit.

"She even let her friend join us. Manx, this probably calls for an interrogation, right?"

And then, very suddenly, she stood up from her seat. No one made any move to stop her (not even Manx, who insisted on this little pow-wow in the first place), but Aya's fingers curled around the handle of his katana. Rei moved until she was directly in front of Youji, and she leaned over him, one hand on her hip and the other on the back of the couch.

She asked the question that everyone forgot:

"Where is Minako now?"

And all of a sudden, Youji fell quiet. He withdrew from her close form, leaning back and crossing his arms. Her eyes were sharp, piercing, and Youji saw, for the briefest seconds, Aya. She didn't pull back, though. She was unrelenting, fierce, and she was going to burn him.

And then she turned on her heel. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely to Manx, who simply shook her head, "but the country's in a mess. I'm sure my--brother's called together a press conference. If you want to be there personally, just contact my assistant."

And Rei paused. She had her back turned to them, but they could see the tension in her shoulders. Omi watched his sister, with the proud tilt of her head, and he wanted to run to her. Tell her everything. Ask her everything. How did this happen? _Why_ did this happen?

"Please don't forget about Minako," Rei said, very quietly, and then she left. The bell chimed as the door swung against its frame, the wind propelling it back out. Ken hurried forward to close it gently. He took a look outside, watching her small figure disappear into the night.

"She didn't even take an umbrella," he murmured, but his comment went unnoticed. The rain was pounding against the door, and he winced in unison with a crash of thunder. She was tiny against the thunderstorm, and her figure was walking into darkness. There was a small part of him, buried deep within, that wanted to pull her back. He wanted to hold out his hand and let her hold it, let her walk away from the depths of hell--but Ken knew that he himself had already fallen too deep.

He turned back to the silent group before him. They looked pitiful, and he was sure he was in the same state. Mussing his hair up a bit, Ken sighed. He busied himself with cleaning the empty cups lining the counter. After a second thought, he switched on the stove to boil water for tea; he could still feel the cold from the two seconds the door was open, and he was pretty sure everyone else could use the warmth.

Within minutes, a sharp whistle pierced the air. Ken smiled, removing the water off the stove. He quickly set tea bags into the freshly cleaned cups, and called out to everyone else, "Hey, I'm making tea and it's all jasmine!"

He didn't expect a response, so he wasn't at all surprised when it was just Manx who smiled at him. The rest of Weiss was quiet, though Youji's eyes had settled on him briefly. Ken shrugged, balancing the tea on a tray. He set a cup of tea in front of each person, and was momentarily surprised when Aya nodded thanks at him.

He had forgotten that Aya used to be human. It had been so long since they had met, and Ken had already forgotten that his teammate was capable of emotion. He wondered for a moment how he himself had changed, but quickly changed that course of thought; he didn't want to lose himself now.

"Well then," he said in his best Super Ken voice," let's watch that press conference, shall we?"

He felt a little encouraged when Omi managed to squeeze out a small smile. Motivated, Ken switched on the TV and plopped down into his chair with a thud. He flipped a few channels before finally settling on a popular news broadcast. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Aya sipping his tea quietly. The red-haired man tried not to make a face at the tea's strong flavor, and Ken chuckled to himself quietly.

On the screen, a limousine had pulled up. Cameras were flashing and news reporters were calling out incoherently. "Takatori-san, can you explain--?"

"Takatori-san, what is the meaning of--?"

"Takatori-san, how is the status of the--?"

The blue-haired woman who assisted Takatori Masafumi out of the car hushed the reporters with a raised hand. "Please, wait for the press conference to begin. Your questions will be answered then."

Masafumi smiled, and the cameras began flashing again. His woman bodyguard accompanied him up the steps of the police headquarters building. Ken watched their movements with narrowed eyes—to the public, they were politician and bodyguard, but to him, they were devil and mistress.

The video cameras trailed off Masafumi as another car pulled up. The door opened without the chauffer; Rei stepped out, and she had completely transformed. Ken was almost transfixed as he watched her on the screen--gone was the tired, angry young woman with the bloody clothes and tangled hair. Instead, Hino--no, Takatori Rei was charismatic.

Ken shook his head, almost unbelieving the sight. Her skirt was tight and her shirt was fitting; her legs and curves were teasing his eyes. In all the time he'd known her, she'd never been the type to strike him as showy--but the way she smiled and the way she sauntered was making him a little--well, hot.

Ken cleared his throat, downing the rest of his tea. He did not miss Youji's low whistle (talk about mood swing) and Omi's glare at the older man in response. As long as he wasn't on the receiving end of Omi's sudden overprotective younger brother tendencies, he was fine. Manx's glance at him, however, made him blush and he stuttered something about making more tea.

He returned and to see Masafumi embracing his younger sister with familial politeness. When they parted, Ken spotted a small figure standing off to the side just before the camera switched views. "That was--!"

"Ouka-san," Omi whispered, and his eyebrows drew together. "But what is she--?"

The press conference began, and Ouka was pushed to the back of their minds. Masafumi smiled, speaking to the audience with poise. He seemed to be a completely different man on the podium. Gone was the bumbling scientific politician; in his place was a man ready to accept the Takatori throne. It was his duty, his _right_ to take over what his father and older brother had started.

He was promising the rising future of Japan. He was going to undo the mistakes of the past and create a new direction. He was going to bring justice to his father's name, because his father had been manipulated and murdered. He was going to fix things, and he was going to succeed.

"But most people believe that all this happened because of Takatori Reiji's greed. What comments do you have on this?"

Somehow, while Masafumi was pondering how to answer the question, Rei had leaned over the microphone (Ken blushed, reminded himself that he was no longer a teenager, and tried to focus) and spoke.

"Takatori Reiji was blind and could not see past his own reflection. He was simply one man, but he could not realize that. People have therefore suffered in ways that they do not deserve. There is nothing we can do to amend this--time can't travel backwards."

Masafumi was looking at her, and his hands were clenched.

"I am not my father, and he is obviously unable to make an apology himself. Regardless, I hope you will accept my apology for the burdens this family has put on you. Please, forgive me."

Her low bow was greeted with silence. Ken was frozen, because he knew that she speaking directly to the current occupants of Koneko no Sumu Ie. There was something about her words that chilled him. She had been speaking to him, penetrating his past (why, Kase?) and trying to end the futile war. But it wasn't her responsibility. He looked over to Omi and saw that the younger boy was shaking.

A reporter interrupted the awed silence, and his voice rang. "Takatori Rei-san, rumor has it that they are calling you a butterfly in the messy world of politics. That you are beautiful, you are free, and you are making epic changes. What do you think about that?"

Rei simply smiled, but the twinkle in her eyes was misinterpreted. "That's just silly. There's no such thing as a messy world of politics."

The polite laughter eased the heavy atmosphere, and Masafumi took back the podium. Rei settled into the background comfortably, but she outshined her brother effortlessly. It was then Manx came to a conclusion. While the rest of the world saw her as a pretty young face, the men of Weiss finally saw her as deadly.

**xxx**

Youji was left in the room with Omi. Aya had excused himself and left the shop without another word. Manx slowly followed his lead, though she was more informative about her whereabouts. "Don't hesitate to call me if anything comes up. Relax until then. I will contact you with the next mission."

Ken scowled at her as she left, and he disappeared back into the kitchen. Youji heard him mocking Manx under his breath, his voice in a falsetto, "Relax until then. Blah blah blah." He sighed long and slowly, running his hand through his hair. "Ah, Hidaka-kun, you need to sleep, it's been a long night..."

Youji rolled his eyes. Trust Ken to be overdramatic and talking to himself. He sipped at his tea and made a face. "Too hot."

"Mm," Omi responded blankly, and the older man looked up.

"Omi."

"Yes?"

"Smile," Youji said, and he leaned forward. "Your tyrant father is dead. Your gorgeous sister is alive. What more could you ask for?"

Omi stared at him. "Youji-kun... Persia is dead."

"That means we're free." Youji looked into his cup. It steamed at him, fogging his vision. He blew at it, and for a moment he could see the golden liquid.

"She doesn't know who I am," Omi said slowly, cupping his hands around the tea for warmth. He seemed to shrink into the chair. "All this time and she didn't know. _I_ didn't know who she was."

"Ah," Youji said. He watched the younger boy, who was shaking--he was shaking, but the tea in his cup held steady. Not one drop spilled, not even as Omi gave a silent, unexpected sob. Youji found himself feeling--_sad_.

"Do you remember when she took Aya's katana? Or how she appeared Marine Cathedral? She was there--she's seen us _kill_, Youji-kun, and I've always wondered why she never asked. You were right. She never asked questions. She came in here, knowing that we're _killers_, and she's _never said anything_."

There was a stretched silence, in which Youji drained his tea and Omi drowned in his. And then, in the shakiest voice the older man had ever heard, Omi spoke.

"How do I know I can trust her?"

"You don't, Omittchi." Youji set his cup down and stood up, motioning for the boy to do the same. "You don't."

Omi stood up, meeting the older man's eyes with a lost gaze. "Then what do I do?"

Youji cradled the tea pot in his arms, fighting away the steam with his own breath. Then, as he headed to the kitchen, he said quietly, "Just talk to her."

Because when Youji held her, on that rainy day where she was so little in his jacket and in his arms, and her eyes were so fierce --on that rainy day when she reminded him so much of Asuka, Youji knew that she couldn't possibly have ulterior motives. He had felt her pain through the brief seconds they'd touched, and he knew then--she was suffering silently. She was calling out to him, and while he couldn't do anything, someone with that amount of pain should not go unanswered.

"Oi, Ken, get out of here," Youji drawled, and he ignored the indignant look on the ex-soccer player's face.

"'scuse me?" Ken put his hands on his hips, eyeing the teapot and the cups in Youji's hands. "I'm not cleaning that."

"I don't need you to, you oaf." Youji set the ceramics down, motioning Omi to do the same. Already he could see the blonde little boy was returning to his regular self--he wasn't smiling, but his eyes weren't looking down anymore.

"Lazy bum," Ken muttered, and he ducked the swinging arm. "Hey, be careful! If you get rid of me, who's gonna watch your back?"

"I'm sure Omittchi can handle that." Youji grinned and poked Ken in the forehead. The younger man made a strangled sort of noise in his throat as his limbs flailed about. This brought a final smile to Omi's face.

"Alright, alright, quit it you two. I'm fine."

"Who said this had anything to do with you?" Ken suddenly swooped down and caught him in a headlock. "Ne, Omi, stop hanging around this jobless womanizer. Sooner or later you'll turn into him!"

"It's better than turning into a clumsy jock."

Ken scowled again and was about to retort when the door jingled open. His features instead morphed into confusion. It was almost midnight, and he was pretty sure no one would think they were open.

"We're closed," he started to say, but fell silent as Rei opened her mouth. She closed it promptly, feeling a little awkward, and shuffled her feet--her feet, with those heels, that led to those legs, and--Ken blushed, but Youji smirked.

"Hey lady." And he winked.

"Bipolar, are we?" Rei looked at him with a dry expression, and his grin merely widened. He made his way towards her, snaking his arm around her body and leading her into the shop.

"How about we put all our differences behind us? Don't you remember that wonderful rainy day when we embraced? I dream about--"

"_You-ji-kun_," Omi said flatly, and the older man took three steps back.

"Tea, Takatori-chan?"

Rei glared at him and he held up the teapot. When she said nothing, he assumed that her answer was yes. He poured her a cup, hoping that it was still hot enough; the steam rose up slowly, and he approved. "Here," he said, and she took it.

"Ano, Rei," Ken started, and he hesitated. Then, "Why are you here?"

Rei looked at all three of them, and the smile she had on was grave. "I don't know what you guys are going to do now that my uncle is dead. The responsibility is no longer yours."

Her words were political, and Youji remembered--she had said something about a business meeting earlier that day. Back then it registered as unimportant; now he understood. She was slowly following in her brother's footsteps, becoming one of their father's lackeys.

As if she could read his thoughts, Rei smooth out her skirt. Despite being a simple skirt, it had been ridiculously expensive--some famous designer. Ouka had insisted on it when the two of them had gone shopping for her 'professional' clothes. She told herself she shouldn't really care; it hadn't been her money, but her father's.

At that thought, something bubbled in the pit of her stomach and she felt like she was going to vomit. She cleared her thought and ignored the unsettling feeling. The cup twirled slowly in her hands.

"It never should have been. Kritiker was created because of a rift between brothers. You never should have been caught up in this."

The smile was gone from Youji's face as he leaned back against the counter. She was serious, but her words were light. She was looking at him, speaking to Ken, and tearing Omi apart.

"Takatori Shuuichi created Kritiker. He is dead, without a successor."

"What are you saying, Rei?"

"I'm letting you go."

"No."

It was Omi that spoke, and Rei stared at him. She had expected refusal, but not the tone of voice. He was indignant, and there was a fury in his eyes that she'd never seen before. It didn't frighten her--instead, it was heartrending. In that particular moment, she wanted more than anything for Omi to smile again. It was always his smile that eased her mood.

"You have a brother, Rei."

"Masafumi won't do anything with Kritiker." Rei frowned. "You know that."

"That's not what I meant!"

Beside him, Youji tried to fight the grimace that was slowly starting to appear on his face. Talk to her, yes, but he hadn't meant right then and there. For being such a bright kid, Omi surprisingly lacked common sense when it came to his emotions.

"I killed Hirofumi."

A heart beat. Then, "I know."

"And you're okay with that?" Omi almost looked crestfallen. Slowly, Youji took Ken by the arm and motioned to the basement--leave the two alone. The conversation was private, and they were intruding. Ken seemed to be thinking along the same lines; he didn't argue but merely trudged his way down. Youji gave Omi a single, pointed look before going. He only hoped that the younger boy would understand--_don't mess up_.

"Hirofumi," Rei began, but stopped. Her deceased brother brought up too many emotions. He had destroyed any semblance of hope that Rei had for the family. Hirofumi was just a shadow of their father, and she could see Masafumi slowly following. Briefly she wondered what was happening now to the second eldest Takatori--he knew that she knew that he held Usagi at his house, but he hadn't mentioned anything to her.

She had told her father that Masafumi was going to die soon. It had been empty words back then, but she wondered now if there were true.

Omi was still watching her with those sad, sad eyes. Rei smiled a bit bitterly.

"He wasn't anything, Omi. Hirofumi wasn't anything to me."

The tears welled up in his eyes, and he opened his mouth. And then he choked on his words as he looked back at her. Everything that had wreaked his mind for the past five years--everything that made him doubt what he was doing, doubt the kind of life he was living, doubt his mental stability and abilities--all that poured out. He felt Rei's arms encircle him, and he let her hold him.

Omi let his older sister hold him as he cried.

He tried to tell her that he was alive, that he was _alive_ damn it, but he couldn't. He had already lost that night an uncle and a father--and, deep in his heart, he wondered if he'd also lost his sister.

"Rei," he sobbed, and she shushed him. She was stroking his hair, rubbing his back, holding him as his heart cleansed itself. She was so warm, and he wanted to let her know that. She was strong and radiated a light that he never knew existed. His soul was lost, and all he wanted to do was just follow her. Let her take him by the hand and lead him through life. "Rei!"

"It's okay," she said quietly, and her voice soothed him. He believed her. He felt his tears stop and his mind calm down, but his heart was still aching. He had to tell her, right then. It was unlike any other pain he'd felt when she looked at him the same way she looked at everyone else. She was his sister. She had to know.

And then she spoke again, a bit after his sobbing stopped. "Can I ask you something?"

He was still silent, save for the occasional hiccup. He could hear her slow, steady heartbeat, and wondered if she realized their connection. Omi nodded.

"The Takatori family only fell because of my father. I have a grandfather still, who holds the Takatori name honorably. And a brother, save for Masafumi."

His breath caught in his throat. Did she already know? He pulled away from her, looking into her eyes--her deep, glorious eyes that radiated every kind of hope he could imagine.

"Forgive them."

"What?"

"Forgive them for being the bearer of such a tainted name."

Omi smiled and agreed, clasping her hand and promising. Inwardly, however, his world crashed.

* * *

**notes**

sry no action and no aya  
ken is my favorite  
next chapter: several people die ohohohoho

rei's so dumb :( her brother's right there!

okay thanks for reading and reviewing guys :)


	15. 14: les lis

**chapter fourteen: les lis**

The smoke swirled inside Schuldig and tried to contaminate him. It was fighting a losing battle, though--Schuldig drew his lips into a circle and blew out. Slowly, the smoke drifted out, admitting defeat. It circled in the air, fogging under the rain and disappearing into nothing. Schuldig watched as it died, and he grinned.

As if something like that could kill him. He was one of Schwarz--one of supernatural, one of immortality. Technically that wasn't true, but as long as he continued to breathe the air above humans, he was going to live far past them.

His gaze slid to the lanky figure slouching beside him. "Don't tell the bird."

"I am not a fool, Schuldig."

Schuldig chuckled--the sound started off as a disbelieving snort, but it quickly elevated into a low tremor. "No, of course you're not."

Farfarello would have rolled his eyes if he had two. Instead, he turned on his foot and set off. Schuldig watched him for a moment, and realized that Farfarello was, indeed, no fool. The man, with his scars and bandages, was a graceful dancer, a gift sent down, ironically, from God. He moved languidly, fluidly, and he destroyed any obstacle in his way.

Schuldig was fast, but Farfarello was smooth.

With one backwards look of disdain at the unconscious girl, Schuldig followed Farfarello out of the alleyway. At the end, Nagi waited with revered patience. The boy's eyes were turned up to the sky, up to the clouds and the rain that descended upon them. God's tears, Farfarello said. A pain in the ass, Schuldig replied.

"We're late," Nagi said once they approached, and Schuldig saw that the rain did not touch him. It hovered a centimeter above his suit, keeping him pristine clean.

"Come on, Nagi, be more of a villain. We like the rain."

"I'm wearing white."

Schuldig really did snort this time. "You're worse than the girl."

And although Nagi didn't comment, Schuldig felt the rain pound down on him _just_ a tad bit harder.

"Right. Very mature. Come on, boy, let's get going. We need to make a grand entrance."

"I like those," Farfarello said right before Nagi grabbed his arm and they popped out of existence. A second later the boy was back. He pursed his lips and placed a hand on Schuldig's shoulder. "I'll try not to leave a finger behind."

"What? Nag--"

And they were gone. Schuldig felt the world disappear and reappear, and he wondered what it was like to manipulate in the way Nagi did. Schuldig controlled minds--Nagi controlled everything else. The kid was powerful, and he didn't even know it. _Crawford_ didn't even know the real extent of his abilities; he had just figured out that Nagi, with molecular control, could possibly be able to teleport.

Crawford had tipped off the little Tomoe girl, but Schuldig was pretty sure that it was only because the American was tired of gas expenses.

"So," Schuldig said, "we're here. Let's start a fire." He flicked his cigarette to the nearby tapestry. It fell with a dud. He frowned and turned to Nagi.

Nagi never rolled his eyes, but he had to strongly fight the urge to do so right then. Schuldig was the stupidest man in the world sometimes. In moments like these, Nagi found it hard to believe that the man had made it so far in Rosenkreutz.

"I heard that, you brat," Schuldig flippantly remarked, and he started around the corner. Farfarello and Nagi wordlessly followed; the former was anticipating more blood, and the latter was simply bored. The mansion was a maze, but Schuldig had been here once and that was enough to know the floor plan. His memory was sharp, still--something he valued, held close to him. If, for some reason, things started fogging up in his mind, and he couldn't orientate between his own thoughts and others'...

What a morbid thought to ruin such an exciting situation, Schuldig mentally berated himself. He continued to lead the way down the hall and into a closed door. The man sitting on the bed sat straight up, but the girl in his lap didn't stir.

"Who--?"

"Hello," Schuldig said, grinning, "would you like some help?"

"Pardon?" Chiba Mamoru looked faintly lost, but he wasn't letting his guard down. Smart man. "What do you want?"

"It's not about what _I_ want, but more of what _you_ do."

Mamoru looked down at Usagi. He would never let anything happen to her, but as much as he wanted her by his side, she was not safe here. He could shield her but he couldn't protect her. Still, the prospect of handing her over to strangers was unappealing, and he was going to resist it with every part of him.

"Still don't believe me?" Schuldig sighed, craning his neck back to look at Nagi. "Oi, Nags, can you--?"

Nagi disappeared. Mamoru stared.

"So," Schuldig said, motioning for Farfarello to step forward, "any idea where the kitchen is? My friend here wants a drink."

**xxx**

Aya opened up the shop promptly at nine. He understood that everyone was still resting from the night before—but he still wanted to open shop at nine. It was the routine that appealed to him, the idea that he could still do the same things he did every day. The redhead put down the book of flower orders onto the counter before reaching for his apron. He doubted anyone would come to buy flowers, not after last night's hectic events--but then again, there were always the loyal high school girls who wouldn't dream of missing a chance to get a peek at the workers.

Aya had done inventory last night. It had been a last minute thing off his checklist (break into Parliament? Check. Kill Takatori? Check. Do inventory for the shop tomorrow? Check) and he didn't regret it. Lack of sleep was never a problem for him; most of the times, he preferred eye bags over haunting nightmares.

So he had Ken to help him out today. Youji was probably still out (the redhead had no idea that he was currently lounging downstairs and avoiding the early sun), and Omi had school. It wasn't really different from any other day--except for the fact that, despite having achieved what he'd set out to do years ago, his heart felt heavier.

Takatori Reiji was dead by his blade, but it didn't solve anything.

Aya briskly began sweeping the shop, frowning at the dirt and dust accumulating. He was going to take a break at noon, he reasoned to himself. Check up on Aya-chan. There was something unsettling, and he wanted to make sure she was alright. Manx had said that they were off the hook--for now.

So Kritiker didn't know what to do now that their leader was dead. If Aya had known earlier that he was in such a disorganized organization (how ironic), he would've asked for more benefits--for Aya-chan.

Aya made his way to the front of the shop after making a quick sweep of the floor. He unlocked the door and flipped the sign to 'open.' It was just another day, and all he could expect to battle right now was the gaggle of high school girls slowly crowding.

Rei came back from the kitchen, her bag slung over her shoulder and her heels on her feet. She paused (froze) when she saw him, and he stared at her. The unspoken words rang between them—_you let me kill your father, why, who are you?_ Then, wordlessly, she bowed. His lips thinned, but he nodded.

She made her way towards the door, but it was then Naoe Nagi appeared in the room. He just materialized out of thin air. Aya took one step backwards, two more forwards, and brandished the broom in his hands like a weapon. The look the boy gave him was mocking, condescending--and then he grabbed Rei by the arm and disappeared.

Fujimiya Aya was rarely at a loss for words. He chose to be silent because pointless words wasted time, but his mind was always racing. Thinking. But seeing a boy appear in the room, grab a girl, and disappear in less than ten seconds unnerved him.

He was not yet used to Schwarz mind games. That only fueled his anger.

When he phoned Manx and informed her of the situation in less than five words ("Schwarz took the girl."), the secretary sighed.

"She isn't our problem."

Aya gave her silence in response. He could visibly picture Manx rolling her eyes at her phone.

"Listen, I know she's had--ties to recent events, but the higher ups want nothing to do with her. She's not a target, and we don't have orders to guard her. She's a free woman, Abyssinian."

Aya gave a brief short nod. Manx seemed to sense it through the phone.

"Aya," she said, a bit more tenderly than she'd intended. She winced, choosing her next words carefully. "You came to us because you wanted Takatori to suffer the same pain that you have. There's no good in killing his daughter now. It's one thing to get compensation from one man, and another to disgrace a family name."

Manx knew she had no right saying this to him, but she said it nonetheless. She heard his breath catch unexpectedly and she closed the conversation.

"I'll update you on the situation regarding you sister at another time. Bye."

The dial tone greeted his ears and he set the phone down. Of course it wasn't fair to disgrace the Takatori family name—but it had also been unfair to the Fujimiya family name when the bomb exploded and his mother and father were killed. It was unfair that Takatori still had a living daughter, while his sister—though she was breathing, though her heart was beating—was sleeping for an eternity on a hospital bed.

Aya frowned. The door jingled as it opened and closed, but he saw no one.

He felt, however, something brush at his leg and looked down to see a small white cat pawing at him. Slowly, he bent down, intending to pick it up; abruptly it clawed at him and darted away.

Aya's frown deepened, but the cat was still watching him. It flicked its tail wearily, walking in a circle. Aya approached it, and the cat started off again. He stopped, and the cat glared at him.

But cats didn't glare.

Against his better judgment, he continued this game with the cat before it led him to the shop entrance. He stopped, and the cat looked back at him. It continued to paw at his feet. Aya squatted down and said to it, "If you aren't here to buy anything, then get out."

The cat _shook its head_. And then it bit his finger and tried to pull him—Aya realized he was being led somewhere. He hesitated, but only for a second; then, in case this was some ploy by the enemy, he swiftly took his katana, hidden behind the counter, and followed. The cat was running at an alarmingly fast pace; gone was the silly game it played with him earlier.

The cat rounded the corner and into an alley. Aya briefly remembered this place last night, and his heart beat faster despite his neutral expression. He knew before he enetered the alley, before he saw her crumpled against the wall—he knew it was Minako, and he knew last night they had made a mistake by leaving her there.

"Aino," he said, and he imagined her eyes opening, her lips cracking into a grin as she said teasingly, "Just kidding." But none of that happened—she lay still, frighteningly so, and he reached forward to check her pulse.

Her heart beat weakly against his fingers. He focused on her and saw that yes, she was still breathing; her chest heaved ever so slightly. He tucked his katana under his arm and moved to take her into his arms. At the last minute, her eyelashes fluttered.

"Aya," she said, and her voice cracked. Her eyes left his face and fell to the ground beside him, where the cat watched apprehensively. "Artemis," she said, and the tears welled up in her eyes.

"Aino." She didn't break eye contact with the cat. "Can you stand?"

"Mm," she replied after a moment. She was being strong, Aya realized. He had felt her pulse; it was too weak. She had lost too much blood (blood, he noticed, that was streaking the streets and walls of the alley) and was far too drained. He held his arm out to her; as she took it, he pulled her swiftly up and into his arms.

"I'm taking you to the hospital."

"No," Minako argued, and she actually struggled in his grasp. "No, I have to see Rei—"

"You're coughing up blood."

"I'm fine!" Minako dropped herself out of his arms, falling to the pavement with a hiss as her knees scraped. As if she weren't bleeding enough. "I have to talk to her, where did she—?"

"Schwarz took her."

If Aya had known that those three words would have caused her to be filled with such grief, he would have prepared himself. Instead he was hit head on with her wide blue eyes, so crystal clear and tormented at the same time.

"No," she said, and she shook her head. "No, Aya, NO!"

He picked her up again, ignoring her sobs. She was trembling, her screaming muffled against his shoulder. She was fragile, worn down, shaking her head and saying it was his fault, why did he let that happen, why why why, how could things end up like this, they were so happy.

Aya cast his eyes up to the sky. It was starting to rain again. He wondered for a brief moment if God was targeting them, or if it really was coincidence that the rain would pummel their shoulders and make everything seem so, so heavier. Minako was still breaking down as he carried her to his car, and he said nothing all the while.

He had only waited for this time to come—each one of them, Aya, Ken, Youji, even Omi—they had seen things that shattered their world. Aya dreaded for the day that this would happen to Minako—she had been an innocent bystander before needlessly being dragged into a profession that attacked life itself.

"Why?" Minako sobbed as he set her down into the seat. She buried her face in her hands, still shaking her head, still disbelieving. "Why, Aya? Why?"

Aya started the car engine. And then he said quietly, "I don't know."

The car sped off towards the nearest hospital, leaving a trail of despair.

**xxx**

"Why did you bring me here?"

"He wanted to see you."

Rei looked at Nagi, looked into his dark eyes as she reached a hand up to brush his hair away from his face. He appeared for a moment to be startled; abruptly he grabbed her hand, pulling it away from him. She let him do so, and any feelings he had suppressed resurfaced.

"You're alive," he said, though his eyes—those eyes that hated people and society and the world they walked on—those eyes said, _I'm glad_. Rei nodded, taking her hand back and turning away from him.

She honestly had not expected to see him again. She hadn't expected to be reunited with Schwarz so soon—although Nagi had a small part of her heart, he still manipulated people around him. She wasn't a fool; she knew Schwarz were working for their own goal. She knew Schuldig wasn't joking when he said she was weak, because compared to them—compared to the world they grew up in, compared to the powers they held in their hands—she was miniscule.

She no longer served any purpose to them. And even though Schwarz were maniacal psychopathic _killers_, the thought somehow stilled her heart (_it's because of _him_, you stupid girl_, she told herself, and she banished those thoughts away, useless thoughts, they meant nothing).

"Well then," Rei said after a moment, "let's see what kind of trouble you guys got yourself into."

She opened the door and saw Mamoru playing cards with Schuldig and Farfarello.

"Do you have a three?" Farfarello was asking Schuldig, who shrugged and said, "I don't know. Sucks that you can't read my mind, eh?"

Farfarello bristled, but Mamoru held a hand up. "Come on, guys, keep it cool. Schuldig, give him the three."

Schuldig sulked. Mamoru raised his eyebrows, and the one-eyed man grinned, putting down his three. Schuldig tossed the matching card at him, scowling.

"Well," Farfarello said, "I win."

And then he turned to the doorway and became quiet. Rei stared at the scene, baffled, her finger still pointing at the three of them accusingly. Her mouth open, shut, and opened again, but no words came out. Finally, Nagi snuck into the room under her arm; Schuldig swore he saw a smile on the kid's face.

So. He was getting soft then. Not a good sign.

"Oi, oi," Schuldig crowed, putting the cards aside. "Don't stand there like a fish. Come play cards with us."

"Play car—oh God someone help me, there really can't exist a man this stupid."

"Stop being a bitch and sit down and play!"

"There he goes again with the cards—he can't be serious?" Rei looked off to the side, fist at her lip in thought. Mamoru, however, stood up, crossed the room, and threw his arms around her.

"Rei," he said, so tenderly that she was caught unaware, "you're safe."

A pause. Then Rei pushed him aside, laughing. "Of course I am! I've gone through tougher things than this, you know that."

He smiled at her, the very smile that caught the heart of Sailor Moon in their younger days and Princess Serenity a millennia ago. "We were worried for you."

"We?"

"Usagi." Mamoru paused, glancing back at the three members of Schwarz. They seemed to be minding their own business, but he was sure that the orange haired was listening. "She... About a couple of minutes before you got here, Takatori Masafumi asked to speak with her."

"And you let her?!" Rei's head snapped to him. "Mamoru, what—?"

"I know, Rei." Mamoru frowned as he met her gaze evenly. "I know. I love her more than my own life. Do you think I wanted to let her go?"

Rei had the grace to look abashed, but she didn't back down. "Then why—?"

"She wanted to." Mamoru sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She wanted to go and speak with him by herself."

"You never should have—"

"I trust in her, Rei. I trust that she can take care of herself. I want to protect her, always, but when her mind is set, I can't do anything about it."

Rei saw devotion in his eyes, and she smiled. She caught his hand lightly, nodding her head. "You're still a fool, Chiba."

Mamoru shrugged. It was then an explosion rocked the mansion and the two were thrown off their feet. Rei scrambled to regain her balance, and she made eye contact with Nagi. _Please_, she said, _please Nagi_.

The boy found himself pulled against his will. He teleported away, intent on rescuing the blonde princess from Masafumi. Rei pressed herself against the wall as the mansion continued to shake; briefly she noted that Schuldig and Farfarello were standing easily in the middle of the room. She held her hand out to Mamoru, who grasped it and pulled himself up.

"What's going on?"

"No idea." The shaking stopped and Rei pushed herself off the wall and towards the door. "I doubt it was an earthquake, though."

Mamoru followed right behind her, and Schuldig and Farfarello were at his heels. The mansion had been totaled; there were debris and fallen pillars everywhere. He had no idea how she was doing it, but Rei was maneuvering her way through chunks of rock and plaster. She almost slipped a couple of times before catching herself. Behind him, he could tell the two men were gracefully sidestepping any obstacles.

Rei approached the stairs, finding it destroyed beyond repair. She hesitated, looking down—there were at least four flights to the bottom. The stairs leading up, however, were still in tact. She locked eyes with Schuldig, who betrayed nothing; he simply shrugged.

Well, he was certainly being helpful.

Rei leaped up and grabbed a hold of the ledge. She attempted to hoist herself up onto the stairs; instead, she felt someone push her up. Mamoru lifted her, ignoring the dust that crumbled on her extra weight. She gave him an appreciative look as she clambered onto the steps.

"Be safe," was all he said.

And she turned her back and continued to make her way up, letting her mind guide her—she could feel her brother this way. Masafumi had an awkward aura; it had been weak and needy when she first met him, but as members of their family kept dying, it grew.

She got to the top, rounded the corner and threw open the door to his lab. It was pitch black, and she felt something sharp grazed her cheek as it whizzed past her and embedded itself into the wall. Rei reached back and yanked it out of the wall—it was a knife. An oddly shaped knife, looking like something akin to scissors.

"I've been waiting for this day," Hel said as she slipped another knife into her hand. "You've been nothing but a nuisance."

"What was that noise?"

"Oh, that?" Hel smiled, and Rei felt a chill on the back of her neck. "Seems like a few of the beasts got out." She took a few steps forward, and the lights dimmed on. The lab was filled with cylindrical pods, like the ones in the lairs of mad scientists in the movies—_and there were people in them_. Hel swept an arm out. "Science is beautiful, is it not? You can take men who lack the ability to behave, and you can alter DNA and make them listen to your every word."

Rei cast her eyes upon the pods, and realized, with dread knotting her stomach, that the people contained in them were deformed. Unnaturally large, with talons and fangs and tentacles and spikes. She felt numb, horrified—this had been here this whole time? Usagi had been kept here captive, and beasts were only a few stories above?

"Stop it with that ugly look," Schoen said as she stepped out from behind a pod. Her glare would have burned a hole in Rei if the latter had been paying attention. "Honestly, you're so childish. As if you haven't seen anything like this before."

Rei finally looked at her. And she said, very quietly, "How disgusting of you."

Schoen leapt into action, brandishing her whip and cracking it at Rei; the senshi ducked and grabbed it with her free hand, trying to pull Schoen closer. Abruptly Schoen cracked the whip back; it burned Rei as it left her hand and she hissed back the pain. Schoen let the whip fly again and again; it wrapped around Rei's arm, her legs, finally her neck.

Schoen approached the younger girl, scowling. "You talk big, don't you?"

"You act big, don't you?" Rei countered, and she let an inferno pour from the whip around her neck to Schoen's hands. The former model cried out as she yanked her hands back. Rei untangled herself and swept her leg on the ground; Schoen abruptly fell back, but at the last minute planted her scorched hands on the floor and recovered with a back flip.

"Enough with this nonsense," Hel said, her cool demeanor not breaking. She swiped at Rei with her knife, who countered with her own. Rei ducked another knife, parried another strike and narrowly avoided a harsh jab. An opening—as Hel tried to regain her balance from the jab, Rei swiped up with her own knife.

Hel jumped back as her shoulder was cut open. Briefly Schoen hesitated, flexing her fingers—then they both flew into action and attacked her.

Rei jumped as Schoen tried to knock her off her feet, but she was caught by Hel's knife plunging into her shoulder. She bit back a cry, instead bringing her foot up and catching Hel under the chin. Rei slid off the side, but Schoen was right in front of her. The blonde grabbed Rei by the head and slammed her head into the ground.

The senshi of Mars saw stars and tasted copper. _Ironic_, she briefly thought. Before Schoen could bash her into the floor again, Rei held up her hand and let a ball of fire go; Schoen shrieked and backed away from her, hysterical.

"Curious," Hel said as she rubbed her jaw. She leaned against a pod, ignoring Schoen's cries. Her eyes followed Rei's movements—her burning eyes, and the hand that twitched. So she wasn't just living with Schwarz; she was practically one of them—inhuman. "How very curious. Neu."

The silent member of Schreient straightened up from her crouch. She and Tot had been witnessing the battle, having been told not to interfere. Tot didn't think nothing of it, but Hel was sure that Neu had been slightly offended. Well, let her take her anger out on this one.

Neu cracked her knuckles, adjusted her sunglasses, and darted forward. Rei was caught unaware; her jaw snapped up and to the left with every swing Neu took. The wind was knocked out of her as Neu landed a kick. She fell back, trying to catch her breath, but Neu was quick—Rei found herself on the floor with tears in her eyes and the taste of blood in her mouth. Briefly she heard the youngest Schreient member cheering.

She saw a fist heading her way and reacted without thought; in an instant the glove on the hand melted away and skin was scorched. Rei gathered more fire in her hand, putting an even distance between herself and her opponent. Neu was looking at her hand, frowning, but other than that she had hardly reacted.

Praying that this woman wasn't a female Farfarello, Rei traced a circle of fire around body and gathered her hands in front of her. "Burning Mandala!" The flames spit forward in several small balls, and Neu dodged the first four. The last one, however, caught her in the leg.

She merely extinguished it and returned back to her fighting stance.

Rei swallowed, dipped into her own defensive stance and waited. For a moment the two judged each other—one with a cool disposition, like ice, the other burning with passion. Then Neu attacked with an array of kicks and punches, and Rei found that she couldn't dodge each strike. A leg caught her in the side and she doubled over; a punch brought her back up as she shook her head and tried to clear her mind. Her lip broke open and she flinched, waiting for the next attack—Neu was unreadable, and that was her advantage over the priestess.

A hand, however, blocked the fist aimed for Rei's face.

There was a silence penetrated only by the priestess's heavy breathing, but the ladies of Schreient stared. Between Neu and her prey was the very person they never had wanted to cross—despite Hel's words behind his back and Schoen's snooty expression, they knew he was a force that could potentially destroy them

Rei only saw the cold back of a man in a white suit. A simple man who liked bossing people around, who had great ambitions and would no doubt succeed in achieving them. He was the man that her heart unabashedly beat for, the man that her mind quelled thoughts of every time.

"Crawford," she breathed, and he acknowledged her with a backwards glance.

Neu chose this momentary distraction as a chance to strike, but Crawford knew. He blocked every kick, parried every swing, threw her off balance when she was open and tossed her aside. He barely broke a sweat; while Neu's guard was finally down and she was heaving for air, Crawford remained polished in his suit.

"What is the meaning of this, Crawford?" Hel stepped back forward, scowling at the man who merely looked at her.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You know what I mean!" Hel gestured towards Rei, who was still nursing her words. "This girl is _our_ target. Why are you interfering?"

Crawford's smile brought down the temperature in the room. "You know better than to take on Schwarz."

Schoen scoffed, her gaze ill as she looked at him. "She can't possibly be a part of Schwarz. She's a weakling."

"My, my, what happened to your face?" Schuldig cooed from the doorway, leaning against the doorframe effortlessly. He smirked as the former model's stiffened, reaching a hand to gently pat her cheeks. Her skin hadn't burned off, but her flesh was still unbearably red and hot to the touch.

"Get out of here," Hel said, and Schuldig raised his eyebrows.

_That isn't an option, sorry_.

She flipped her wrist and the aim would have imbedded itself in Schuldig's throat, but Farfarello carelessly flicked it away with his own blade. The one-eyed man licked his knife and tilted his head, watching her—she swallowed, shaking her head. Damn Schwarz—they were just going to kill the girl, too.

"What do you want?"

"We are merely taking what is ours," Schuldig said, and his eyes flicked towards Rei. She was still catching her breath, determinedly trying not to wince as she massaged her shoulder. The bleeding had stopped awhile ago, but the wound flared up every few seconds.

"Why," Hel said quietly, and Tot joined her side. "She's done nothing but cause misery. Why are you protecting her?"

"Who says we're protecting her?" Nagi said quietly, but he regretted speaking as soon as Tot turned her attention on him. The girl opened her mouth, but Schoen quickly shushed her. Nagi refocused on Hel, ignoring his affection's crushed look. Schwarz, he reminded himself. He was Schwarz.

"Why else would you come here?" Hel readied another knife, not backing down. "Why else would you come into our sanctuary and ruin our plans?"

"Get out."

That was Rei—ever so prideful, holding her head high, refusing to look at any of the men dressed in white. Nagi appeared a bit startled at her sudden interjection, and Farfarello seemed to pout. Schuldig, however, was solemn—a bit too serious as he watched the girl wipe the trail of blood from her mouth. It was Crawford, though, who turned around and addressed her:

"As you wish, Miss Takatori."

With a mocking bow and a slight raise of his eyebrow, Crawford turned and left. That was all there was to it—Farfarello and Nagi both hopped after him, but Schuldig stayed behind for a second or two later.

_Ungrateful bitch._

_Shut the fuck up._

He wasn't expecting the returned vulgarity and glanced backwards at her; there was the tiniest of smirks at her lips--he couldn't help but mirror it.

_Just don't kill yourself. Maybe you're not so useless after all._

Rei ignored this and threw herself at Neu as he made his exit. She managed to land a punch on the stoic woman's face; her fingers grazed skin as she pulled back and blocked the kick aimed for her stomach. The presence of Schwarz had given her some kind of weird power boost—she could see Neu act before she actually did, could see where the punches and kicks would land. It was only natural instinct that her hands moved to where they were supposed to go—she was blocking and dodging and cutting her hands in where there was the slightest opening--_she was seeing everything before it actually happened_.

The two broke apart and Rei stared at Neu, her eyes wide. And then her head snapped to the opening of the laboratory, where Schwarz had just exited.

_Schuldig—_

_You know, Crawford can do that too._

The image of Tot jabbing the umbrella at her entered her mind and she swiftly stepped left; Tot was left stumbling into the space where she formerly stood.

_You mean—?_

Rei saw Hel throwing three knives at her—but she hadn't thrown them yet. Rei dodged the first two as they flew at her and held up one hand to catch the last. Hel stared at her incredulously—in fact, all of Schreient was looking at her with wide eyes.

_Congratulations on taming your clairvoyance. Welcome to the team._

* * *

_  
_

**notes  
with the way this chapter ended up… i kind of want to make rei kick the bucket :x hahahhaha just bc she's almost turning into a mary sue and it scares meeeee. i wasn't intending for her clairvoyance powers to develop this way (i did intend though for her to get her ass kicked by neu :x) but uh. yeah here's... ch. 14!**

p.s. omg romance hint?! wtf who? why!

this chapter got too long so nobody dies [yet]. :x

thanks for reading :D!


	16. 15: stockholm syndrome

**chapter fifteen: stockholm syndrome**

The world was rushing at her—too fast for her to distinguish between the present and the future. Kicks were aimed at her before they actually happened, and her body responded instinctively; she avoided the jabs of blades and the cracking whip. It was surreal, almost, as if she couldn't control anything—and as her mind rang with Schuldig's words (_welcome to the team_), she realized—she didn't want any of this.

Rei let a wall of fire burst from her hands and, using that as a distraction, she propelled herself away from Schreient. She willed her mind to stop—stop using powers that she didn't want, stop the future from colliding with the present. She saw everything slow down, just for a moment; and then the images rushed forward suddenly, and everything was clear.

She vowed to herself that she would _never_ call upon this—clairvoyance, no matter if it would save her life or not. It scared her, made her feel like she was not Hino Rei, like Sailor Mars never existed—it pulled her deeper into the life she had nightmares of, taking her away from the people that filled her with laughter and hope.

"Why are you doing this?" Rei finally said during the still of silence. The flames had died away, and the only thing separating her and Schreient was a blanket of tension. "What have I done to you?"

Hel's expression tightened, but it was Schoen who spoke. "Do you not think about the consequences of your actions?"

"What have I done to you?" Rei said again, her voice breaking; her eyes, though, were steady. Schoen looked at her for a good moment, looked into those eyes that were nothing like any of the other Takatoris. She was not a politician, Schoen realized, she was too weak for that—but that only made things messier. Why delve into a life she was not made for?

"Masafumi," Hel said slowly, "is one step away from becoming a candidate for the next election. You are the one thing that stands in his way."

It was evident that Rei could not understand this simple logic—and yet Hel had seen her, just earlier today, standing in front of the podium and outshining her brother with charisma that the former prime minister could only dream of having. In the five minutes she had garnered attention, she had stolen the heart of Japan—did she not know she was capable of this?

"He is the head of the family now," Rei finally said, and there was no trace of tenderness in her voice. "There is nothing that I can do that would hinder his chances of winning."

"You just don't understand, do you?" Schoen replied testily, her voice rising. "It's because of you that Hirofumi is dead—and it's because of you that old Takatori died. You're responsible for the death of your own family! We're protecting Masafumi from you! We love him!"

"And now you're friends with Schwarz!" Tot exclaimed, using her umbrella to point at Rei. "They are three bad guys, and you're working with them!"

If Rei noticed Tot's slip up (did she also reciprocate Nagi's feelings? Was he not considered a 'bad guy' along with the rest of Schwarz?), she hid it well. She was looking at the four of them in a new light suddenly—as if they weren't the ones who had just given her bruises and wounds that would surely ache the next day. Her defensive stance had dropped and she simply stood there, staring at them.

"Don't give us that look."

It was Neu who spoke, and that seemed to snap Rei out of her reverie. Neu, who had been the silent, fearless warrior earlier, was raging inside. Her lips twisted into a scowl, and she said exactly what the rest of Schreient was thinking:

"We don't need your pity."

"I'm not going to fight you," Rei said quietly, but her words stirred something inside Schoen.

"Don't be a martyr."

"I'm not going to fight you," she repeated. "Not if your reasons are something stupid like that."

"What do you know?" Tot burst out, tears in her eyes. "You haven't lived with Papa—you don't know how Papa feels!"

"God, fine, I'll—I'll leave him alone!" Rei held a hand to her forehead, feeling it ache. All these recent events were already too much to handle, but these four were making it even more difficult... "I'll leave Masafumi alone. I'll disappear from—from the spotlight, whatever."

"Yeah, right," Schoen scowled, her hands gripping her whip tightly. "And what benefit will that give you?"

And suddenly—Rei's eyes narrowed slightly. It was as if she had just thought of something. "Give me the names of every person who would want his data."

"Excuse me?" Schoen looked incredulous. "What on earth are you talking abo—"

"His enemies," Rei said plainly, as if it were common knowledge. "Anyone who would want to see him fall. Anyone who knows about these monsters, the DNA projects, all of it. Give me a list and I'll leave him alone."

"You're insane," Schoen finally said after all of Schreient had stared at her. "You're insane. What are we waiting for? Neu—"

Neu stepped forward, but Hel stayed silent, looking at the girl standing before them—the girl who had taken down the Takatori empire in one night, regardless if she knew that or not. Rei was the very image of a losing opponent; her shoulder was practically useless, her lip had been busted open twice, scratches lined her leg and an opening near the top of her head dripped blood freely. And yet, despite this, she still stood before them—she still faced the people that had attempted to tear them apart, and given them _pity_.

"Enough of this nonsense," Hel finally said, taking Tot by the arm and pulling her back. "We're leaving."

"What?" Schoen asked, bewildered. "But she's right here! We can take her!"

"And risk having Schwarz tail our every move?" Hel sneered. "We have more important things to take care of. This is an abandoned lab anyway. There's nothing here we need."

Tot was still crying, but Hel hushed her and pulled her along. She paused to address Rei one last time.

"I will have that information to you by tonight, if that means you will disappear just as quickly."

Rei gave a short nod. Neu seemed to want to argue, but one look from their leader and she quelled her anger. Schoen, however, was not so easy to convince—she waited until the rest of Schreient had left the lab before speaking.

"Tuesday," she said to Rei, her glance scathing. "Be at the Seian Research Center by midnight." A pause. "Don't mess this up. Schreient doesn't give third chances."

Those words, oddly enough, brought Rei comfort.

**xxx**

Aino was begging him not to leave without her, and Aya was almost tempted to pull her out of the hospital bed and carry her back to his car. But she was hooked up to the IV, to all those machines that reminded him of his sister—and she was pleading, her eyes dry but still red, her lips trembling—"Aya don't leave me here."

(That was what his sister said to him in his dreams.)

Aya shook his head roughly, glaring at her. "You're severely injured and suffering from blood loss. The doctors recommended two week's stay."

"I don't care what the bullshit doctors say!" She attempted to sit up, but he pushed her back down roughly.

"Aino," he said, "stop."

"No."

There was something about her tone of voice that made his mind bring up the image of her angry, dark-haired friend (Omi's sister—Takatori's daughter).

"Aya," she said, "please."

His back was to her now, and she was speaking to a wall. She knew that—but she also knew that walls fell under pressure. And so she was going to force him, if she had to—

force him to pull her out of these machines and let her _live_ because sitting around was _going to kill Rei_.

She couldn't say any of that, though, so she settled for a modest frown.

That was yesterday. Currently, Aya turned the handle of the door of her hospital room (he was visiting, unnaturally showing a fondness for her, and the whole time she had been sedated, sleeping, peaceful). He was indifferent to the nurses asking him to fill out this-and-that, focusing instead on the path in front of him—literally, the tiled hospital floors. Metaphorically, though, was the choice of leaving Weiss (Takatori was _dead_) or staying.

He was parked in front of the flower shop before he knew it. Aino had dug herself in the farthest corner of his mind, letting every other single thing that could possibly run through his thoughts take over. She would be fine, he reasoned to himself, as long as she stayed in the damn hospital and didn't do anything reckless. The longer he knew her, the more he wanted to think that she and Ken were the same people, only in different bodies—quick to act, slow to comprehend.

Aya entered the shop and found Manx waiting for him. There was no smile on her face, no attempt at reassurance as a cold feeling scraped at his insides. She sat, watching him as he put his katana away and pulled his apron over his head. He was aware of her eyes following him—and he paused, glancing at her.

"Aya-chan has gone missing."

The temperature dropped at her words. Manx didn't budge an inch; her face remained calm as his fury bottled up.

"Her nurse went in for the daily check-up and she was gone. The security cameras have all been erased. There is not a single trace of disturbance or evidence. Kritiker suspects that it was an inside job. The doctors weren't alerted to her being disconnected from life support machines. All the security guards are being questioned at the moment."

Manx watched as Fujimiya Ran resurfaced for moment—there was no assassin standing before her. Instead a red-headed young man, worried senseless over his sister, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She watched as he steadied himself by leaning on the counter; his legs were not shaking, but she surmised that his heart was.

"Listen," she said, but he cut her off with a cold look and he once again was Aya. Her previous words hung in the air, stale, and she shook her head. "Abyssinian."

"My sister," Aya said, "is not a mission."

He threw the apron on the counter, grabbed his katana and keys, and was out the door. Youji slipped in, just in time to see him leave. He let out a low whistle.

"That was Angry Fujimiya that just waltzed out the door."

Manx gave him a stern look. "Kudou—"

"What?" Youji, ignoring Manx's frown, stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. "Am I right?"

"You shouldn't pry into his business." Manx shouldered her bag, and she cut off his sarcastic retort with, "He doesn't pry into yours."

That effectively shut Youji up. He stared at her as she briskly made her way to the exit. The smoke from his cigarette swirled up into the sky, and he exhaled—watched his breath meet the ceiling. The fans slowly whirred the smoke away, and he thought—he thought that he was pathetic for letting his past become him.

But what else was there to do? They were all in Weiss for a reason—and the notion stalled his train of thought. Because Takatori was dead, and all there was left was to move on.

Right?

Youji stared around at the flowers, which seemed to weep at the cigarette smoke. A wry smile bit his lips. "Sorry," he said, and he crushed the cigarette under his foot. "I won't do that again, promise."

Because he was going to leave. Not at that particular moment, no, but he didn't really have any obligation to stay. But what was he going to do? He was a killer, he didn't have anything else...

And then, through the window, a pretty young woman passed by. That, however, wasn't what caught Youji's eyes. His heart raced as he threw the door to the shop open and flew after her. She was disappearing through the crowd, and he had to catch her.

Youji knocked aside the nearest person ("Kudou?" the person said, but he was deaf to them) and stretched his arms out. "Asuka," he breathed, his fingers grabbing onto the fabric of her shirt.

The pretty young woman whirled around, eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"

"I," Youji said, and he realized he was the biggest idiot in the world because she was definitely not Asuka. The resemblance was uncanny, but the feel was not right. There was no warmth. No smile. Just a cool, cocky indifference, so unlike the Asuka he knew. "I'm sorry, I had you mistaken for someone else."

"Right." The woman looked absolutely amused as she waited for him to say something. And for some reason—Youji knew that she was not Asuka, far from it, but he couldn't help but say what his mind was telling him was the wrong thing.

"Would you like to get something to eat, then?"

And sure, he was still wearing his uniform, but the woman was still eyeing him.

"You don't even know my name."

Youji didn't know what to say. Speechless, for once.

"It's Kyouko," she said, and she took his arm. "Let's go."

And Makoto, having been one of the people Youji had knocked over in his attempt to catch up to 'Asuka,' stared as the two of them made their way across the street to the nearest restaurant. A feeling sunk right into her stomach as she turned around tried to ignore the feeling.

"How ironic," Makoto mumbled to herself, continuing to make her way to visiting Minako. "How really—really ironic."

**xxx**

"I don't understand why you didn't contact us sooner," Ami said. Her voice was quiet, but Rei knew better than to think everything was okay.

"I'm sorry," Rei apologized with a slight mumble. She was still nursing her wounds from the consecutive battles she had taken part of without any rest. If it weren't for Makoto shoving spoonfuls of soup down her throat, she was sure she would have crashed...

Ami sighed, shaking her head. "I suppose it can't be helped. Can you hand me the next sheet?"

Rei grabbed a sheet from the stack of papers. Her eyes glanced over the information; it was the profile of a low-end politician. Advocate of clean energy and nuclear power. "Doubt it's him."

"Mm."

For the past three hours, using the information that Rei had received from Hel, they had been working on finding who Usagi's kidnapper was. At first Makoto had said it could wait; they could go and see Usagi, make sure she really was safe. At this, Ami disagreed; the three of them were probably being tracked, and if they exposed Usagi's hiding place, then the secrecy would have been in vain.

Rei glanced over at the briefcase she had also brought over, as well as the folder from her father's office. She had glanced inside the folder, but it was the same story with the briefcase; the words were in a language she did not understand. Ami had promised she would get to it as soon as Usagi was safe and the kidnapper was taken care of.

"He hasn't contacted you yet?"

"No," Rei answered Makoto. They both stared at her phone, which sat silently on the countertop. "He probably realizes that Usagi is safe now."

"Safe," Makoto repeated flatly. She pursed her lips and went back to flipping through her own stack of profiles. "No word on Minako, anyway?"

"Her phone's been off," Rei said. Makoto gave her a startled look.

"Don't you know, she's in—"

"I'm sure she's fine," Ami said distractedly, although she knew the truth. She and Makoto had been informed by Manx that Minako had been checked in to Kritiker's hospital. Ami, however, felt that revealing to Rei at that moment of Minako's status was too much.

"I'm sorry."

The words came abruptly and unexpectedly. Ami's fingers rested against her keyboard for a split moment before she started typing again. Makoto peeked over the papers in her hands. "Rei?"

"All of this, it's…"

The rest was unspoken, but they knew. It was in the way Rei stared at her lap—the tight lips, the tense hands. Makoto had also blamed Rei, initially when Usagi had been kidnapped (because it was her political connection, her political life), but that feeling was fleeting. Someone sooner or later would have realized the connection between Rei and Masafumi and try to use it for their own leverage.

"It is not entirely your fault," Ami said, in a tone that was neither scolding nor sympathetic. "Not entirely because you are not the one who kidnapped her. You were too rash, though, in thinking that none of us would be affected."

"Ami—"

"No, she's right," Rei said, cutting Makoto off. "I put her in danger with all of this."

"Inadvertently," Ami corrected. She sighed, taking a moment to lean back in her chair and take off her glasses. "I know you would never, ever intentionally hurt Usagi. And it is not entirely your fault. You're fixing it, that's what matters."

"If I hadn't—"

"What?" Ami asked. "It was not like you allowed for your grandfather to be murdered. You were pulled into this, Rei, and though I wish you had confided in us sooner, it is not entirely your fault."

Rei buried her face in her hands and let out a noise of frustration. "She won't ever forgive me."

"You're kidding, right?" Makoto interjected. "It's Usagi."

"The biggest problem I have is the company you keep," Ami continued, more gently this time. Rei, her face still in her hands, shook her head.

"You wouldn't understand."

"No, I wouldn't." Ami played with the frame of her glasses, watching the fire senshi with careful eyes. "Why would you ally yourself with them?"

"I'm not _allied_ with them or whatever," Rei said, looking up at her wearily. "It's just—they gave me back my memories, and they—they work really well together."

"Excuse me?" Makoto asked, eyebrows raised. "We _are_ talking about your sociopath friends, right?"

"They're—" Rei sighed, frustrated. "I can't explain. Okay, Crawford, he's a lot like you, Ami, very smart, very prepared. And Farfarello, he's so determined like _you_, Mako. And Schuldig, he and Minako—he glues them all together, like how she does for us."

"And you and the telekinetic are similar how?" Makoto asked, trying not to look upset at being compared to the young man Kritiker called the berserker.

_We're both alone_, she immediately thought. Instead she said, "We're intuitive."

"I can't believe you just compared us to them," Makoto said, lowering her eyebrows. She shuffled her papers, feigning a look of worry. "Furthermore, I can't believe I'm_ Farfarello_."

"It's—I know they're using me," Rei said, despite herself. Where was her pride? "I know they have something planned. I don't know what that is-but they've been helping me up until now."

It took a moment, but Ami finally spoke again. "Rei... I don't exactly want to say Stockholm Syndrome-"

"It's not that at all!" Rei protested. "I don't sympathize with them-"

"I just want to say," Ami said softly, "that although I don't understand what it's like to receive visions-that none of us know what it's like-we're still here for you."

And Ami did what she did best-she hit home. Rei looked away, feeling that she was being dissected by those blue eyes. Of course Ami would understand that Rei surrounded herself with Schwarz (murderers) because she was like them. Different. Powerful. Estranged from part of the world.

"I know," Rei said, swallowing.

"It's fine, Rei," Makoto said soothingly. "They haven't hurt you or us yet. Besides, it's not like my and Ami's hands are the cleanest, either."

"What have we done with ourselves?"Ami mused as she hit the enter key on her laptop. She frowned. "No luck on Hanagami."

"Hatahari is a no-go too," Makoto said, flipping away two pieces of paper over her shoulder. They continued to work in silence; the atmosphere, now that all of the demons had been addressed, was less awkward than before. Makoto sighed after a moment. "Rei? How's Haya-"

"Furuhata," Rei said, looking suddenly at her. She had been thinking for the past five minutes. Makoto forgot how strong her gaze was.

"Furuhata?" Ami broke eye contact with the letters on her screen. "What do you mean?"

"Kaidou's recording. It said-" Rei bit her lip. Her heart was racing suddenly at the piece of information she had never connected. "It said, please send the Furuhata my regards for their loss, something like that. I had assumed it was Motoki and Unazaki, but-"

"No one in their family is dead," Makoto said bluntly. "So what does this mean?"

"That's the thing, how did Kaidou know I would be there?"

Ami stared at both of them in silence as they continued to mutter. The pieces, however, clicked automatically. She continued to watch them as her mind reeled on, forming theory into words. Even though she was pulling at threads, it made absolute sense to her.

"Kaidou was working for Takatori Reiji," Ami said, interrupting Makoto's musings. "He only ever worked for Takatori Reiji."

"That's true," Rei said, ignoring the little voice in the back of her mind that wanted to believe otherwise.

"Under Takatori Reiji, he infiltrated into the former prime minister's office and directly poisoned him." Ami could feel her words rushing. She forced herself to slow down. "That was so Takatori Reiji could take the seat of prime minister himself. And Furuhata-completely unrelated to Motoki, Furuhata Hisashi—"

Ami dug through her stack of papers before pulling out a pile from the bottom. Furuhata Hisashi's profile glared back at her.

"Furuhata Hisashi, collaborated on a project with Takatori Masafumi on human regeneration of cells. This project fell once it started; subjects did not perform as expected and did not survive. All the blame was placed on him; Takatori Masafumi bought his way out of the crime of human experimentation."

She handed Rei a page. Makoto peered over the table to look at it as well.

"So Furuhata is planning on revenge on Takatori Masafumi," Makoto breathed. "But what does Kaidou-"

"Kaidou must have known that Furuhata would target Masafumi through me," Rei said quietly. She couldn't tear her eyes off the profile of the man, taking in every detail. "And so he must have-purposely left that message for me, so that I could-"

She couldn't say it. Ami did. "Kaidou knew he was dead the second he poisoned the former prime minister. He probably wanted you to finish the job, Rei."

Silence. Makoto looked from Ami to Rei before shrugging down at the papers in her hands. "He looks like a wimp."

Rei's lips curved up, but gaze was still troubled.

"Rei…"

"We'll do it," Ami said. "I'm not letting you go alone."

"Me either," Makoto said.

"Do I have a say in this at all?" Rei looked tired as she smiled at her companions.

"No. You've made enough selfish choices on your own." Ami raised her arms in the air, stretching. "Now that I'm done scolding you for an eternity, shall we take a rest? We can carry out a plan for Furuhata later tonight."

"Ami," Rei said, trying to find humor in the situation. "You're going to be scary when you're a mom."

Bingo. Ami immediately blushed. "Wh-who says-?!"

"Yeah, I agree!" Makoto said, slapping Ami on the back. "We just need to score you a hot boyfriend, am I right?"

"You seemed to be getting along with Kudou," Rei remarked, glad that the focus was now on the red-faced aspiring doctor.

"No-n-nonsense, he-Minako-chan-"

Makoto coughed abruptly, remembering how just that morning she had seen Youji with another woman. "Well, now that we nailed our guy, I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up, will you?"

Ami heaved a sigh of relief as Makoto retreated. "You guys are driving me insane."

"That's what children are supposed to do, _mom_," Rei said teasingly. She and Ami shared a smile, and maybe—Rei thought maybe everything was going to be okay.

Maybe, she learned later, was just a figment of hope.

* * *

**an**

hi whoever is still reading and interested ;; i am still surviving this zombie apocalypse. i hope you are too. my apologies for taking forever. muchos gracias for stickin with it ;; ;; ;;


	17. 16: les dieux

**16: les dieux**

"All doors open. Zeus, take the five o'clock side door entrance."

"Roger, Hermes."

"Are we really using these nicknames?" Rei grumbled as she scanned the parking lot from where she hid behind a car. Behind her the security camera stood still; she knew Ami was somewhere watching their every move through them.

"Don't be a hater, _Ares_," Makoto's voice chided. Rei rolled her eyes, imagining Ami doing the exact same thing. Right before they had started their so-called mission, Ami had suggested using their Kritiker codenames, just in case.

"I'm not a part of Kritiker," Rei had bluntly said. Makoto just beamed.

"That's okay, we can think of one easily. Codenames in there have a theme. There's a group, for instance, all named after chess pieces—"

"I'd hate to be the guy named Pawn," Rei said as Ami suppressed a laugh. Makoto ignored her.

"And Weiss, they're all cats, you know—"

"So much for intimidation," Rei said.

"Will you quit interrupting?"

"Sorry, go on."

Ami sighed at the two of them as she finalized their break-in plan. It was like living a fond memory, so different from the lonely life as the intern of a Kritiker hospitalist.

"Okay, so I'm Zeus—"

Rei stared. "Zeus," she repeated. Makoto's grin widened as Ami shook her head.

"Of course. You know, god of all gods. That fellow."

Rei lifted an eyebrow. Ami groaned. "She loves it. Being called Zeus. She absolutely revels in it."

Makoto didn't even bat an eyelash as waved the topic away. "Anyway, Ami's Hermes. So by default, you'd be Ares."

"I'm not going along with this," Rei said. Except five hours later, she was camped at a parking lot, watching for any sign of movement and answering whenever Ami—_Hermes_—addressed her as _Ares_.

Makoto had gone ahead, taking care of the opposition quietly and swiftly. No alarms so far had been triggered, and all the men had fallen almost silently. Now, if only making their way into the building would be just as easy...

"Ares, you're clear."

Rei shifted her weight and quickly shuffled after Makoto. She almost ran into her on the way in; Makoto stood still, scanning the dark hallway. Rei snapped on her night radar over her eyes, quickly doing the same.

"Clear," she mumbled, and although it came out as a whisper, it was amplified in the silent hallway.

"Clear," Makoto agreed. She stepped forward, ignoring the sound of Rei closing the door behind them. The two sped through the hallway, following Ami's directions carefully. Through the right door, up the stairs. Ignore the first exit, take the second. Turn the corner, take the stairs down.

Something, however, did not feel right. Rei slowed her pace, shaking her head. She put one gloved hand on the nearest wall, leaning to catch her breath for a moment. The wounds from all the battles were starting to catch up to her...

"Ares?"

"Suspicious," Rei answered Makoto. Makoto tightened her ponytail as she nodded.

"Too quiet. Could be a set-up."

"Possible," Ami's voice crackled in their ears. "But unlikely."

"Are you sure?"

"Unless one of you informed him," Ami said. "He would have no idea we pinned him down. Kepp going; I've taken care of security measures by replacing live feed with recorded footage."

"Hermes," Rei mumbled with a shake of her head, "what would we do without you?"

"Die, that's for sure," Makoto said. The two of them grinned at each other, imagining Ami silently blushing at the compliment. Makoto held out a hand. "Come on."

Rei accepted the help up. Briefly, as she followed swiftly after Makoto, she wondered why things turned out the way they did. Ami had casually mentioned it the night before ("What have we done with ourselves?"), but the words had imprinted themselves in Rei's brain.

What _had_ they honestly done with themselves? They could crack jokes like before, reprimand each other and hold each other up—everything was the same except they were _killing_. They were breaking into a company building to _kill a man_.

For Usagi, Rei tried to remind herself—but would Usagi want this?

Of course not.

"Incoming, hide," Makoto hissed as she darted across the intersecting hall. She blended in the shadows, pressing herself against the wall. Rei, on pure instinct alone, slid to the floor and laid flat.

Voices. Passing by, not heading in her direction. Rei held her breath, feeling her heart beat against her body. The footsteps faded away. Barely, Rei made out the motion of Makoto signaling for her to get up.

"Why didn't we—kill them?" Rei asked almost inaudibly. Makoto keenly picked up on the words.

"Could be more around. Hermes?"

"Stay where you are," Ami's voice commanded. Rei felt her muscles tighten at the tone of her voice. "Do not move until I say clear."

And it seemed like an eternity. The two of them waited with bated breath, straining to hear any kind of movement. Rei felt, as the base of her skull, a slight urging—she knew right away it was that—_clairvoyance_, those visions that were so unlike the natural ones she had during their early senshi days. She fought against the sensation, quelling it down.

How funny, she would think later, that she would resist such a power when she surrounded herself by men who thrived in that kind of strength. Men who opened minds and defied human logic—who ruthlessly thirsted for the feeling of being on top.

"Zeus, two men coming from the right."

Makoto left Rei's side in an instant. Rei heard, after a moment, the sounds of muffled cries, as well as thuds onto the carpet.

"Ares, go."

Rei didn't ask why Ami had chosen Makoto to take care of the men. In fact, all night, Rei hadn't fired her gun once. She felt something crawl under her gut, a distinct feeling that Ami was trying to keep her from killing anyone that night. But why? Because she wasn't a part of Kritiker? This wasn't a Kritiker mission, this was personal vendetta (she was sure Ami and Makoto promise several favors in order to get the 'night off' of Kritiker duty).

"It's the door straight ahead. I'm going to signal the fire alarm," Ami suddenly said. Makoto nodded, remembering their discussion of the plan last night. "Five minutes."

Five minutes. That meant five minutes for Makoto to seal the door shut. Rei watched as she pulled contraptions and screwdrivers from the bag slung around her shoulders. Makoto worked swiftly, as if she had done this several times; she plastered on some kind paste between the cracks of the door and the wall, hardly even looking at her handiwork.

"Zeus—"

"Done," Makoto said, standing back. She slipped the bag back over her shoulder. "Done, with a minute to spare, too, I bet."

"Show off," Rei said. She heard Ami laugh in her earpiece.

"Okay, you two get into cover. I'm going to pull the alarm. Remember, the second I do, the alarm will interfere with the waves and we'll be disconnected. You have to rely on your memory of the blueprint to exit the building."

"Roger." Rei pulled Makoto back, leading her to a door that was slightly ajar. It was an empty office, with a view of the darkened world outside. "Go, Ami."

And suddenly a shrill noise screeched through the once-stale air, and Ami's pleasant voice cut off and died. Makoto covered her ears briefly; Rei, however, focused on the window outside. It seemed that there were no stars. How fitting, she thought. Her fingers itched for the familiar burn of fire, feeling the darkness outside send a chill down her spine.

She prepared herself. Through that door was Furuhata, and now that Makoto had sealed the door, he was stuck. The fire alarm would sound and he would have no way to get out. But as trapped as he was inside, who knew what men were waiting in there with him?

"Where did you learn how to do that?"

Makoto blinked, turning to Rei at the sudden question. "Oh, that was the first thing I learned training under Kritiker. It was also my first mission, believe it or not. I think this tactic is used often."

"Oh," Rei said. She felt the nagging at the back of her mind pull even harder. Ignore it, Rei thought. As easy as it was to call these visions up, it was infinitely harder to push them away…

The fire alarm continued blaring, even as Makoto nudged the office to their own door open. It had already been ten minutes. They were on limited time; whoever left would have seen the bodies in the parking lot. "Rei, your move."

Rei pulled out a matchbook. How ironic, she thought. She could have easily just Fire Souled a flame, but that was using unnecessary energy. Instead she struck a match and let it float from her fingers and to the door. At once it caught onto the sealant Makoto used; the door exploded, the sound deafening their ears more than the alarm.

They didn't hesitate. Rei leapt over the small dying fire from the remnants of the door. Makoto was at her heels, her own gun drawn out.

"Furuhata!" Makoto cried, aiming—but she put her arm down at the sight in front of them. "Abyssinian?!"

Fujimiya Aya, clothed in black and barely breaking a sweat, stood in the room behind Furuhata with his katana at the bleeding man's throat. He was startled to see them, but not enough to lose his grip or give Furuhata a chance to escape.

Rei felt the vision press harder against her mind. She squinted one eye shut as she stepped forward, one hand at her head and the other clutching her gun tightly. At their feet were dead bodies and pools of blood. "That's why it was so quiet," Rei said. "You came before us."

"Abyssinian, why are you—"

"Ha," came the raspy chuckle from Furuhata. He looked like he had been beaten; his lip had been busted, and his eyes were already swollen. But there was no mistaking it—he was the man from the files they looked at the night before. The man who had threatened to take Usagi's life. "Takatori, you came after all."

"Abyssinian," Rei said, tasting the codename come out her lips. It was bitter, sweet—like coffee with too much cream. Aya's vibrant eyes moved to her. She, for a moment, couldn't look away.

Furuhata ignored the exchange. He seemed like he knew his life was already over; he started motioning with his hands, giving no care to the blade at his throat. "Takatori, what a pleasant, pleasant surprise. How on earth did you find me?"

There it was—that nasally voice from the phone, more grating in person. Rei slid her eyes from Aya's, glaring onto Furuhata's face. She said nothing, not even as Makoto lifted her gun and aimed again.

"Furuhata Hisashi, you have been selected as a dark beast of the night. Accept your punishment."

Furuhata didn't even glance at her; he focused instead on the very still Rei. "When your friend Kaidou took Tsukino Usagi from right under my nose, I was very angry. Imagine, my well thought-out plan, foiled—twice! You refused to die at the café, and you refused to budge when threatened."

"Shut up," Makoto said, clicking the safety off her gun. Furuhata seemed to enjoy the moment even more.

"Do you know what your friend Kaidou said before I killed him? After hours of torture, he finally confessed to setting me up. And do you know what he said?"

"Didn't I say quit talking?" Makoto snapped.

"_Hino Rei_. And so I told him, that girl doesn't exist anymore. He cried right before I pulled the trigger."

Rei felt the pressure build. The vision was burning against the back of her eyes. She looked from Furuhata's wicked mouth to the nearest soothing thing—Aya's unmoving gaze. She could see his conviction. He was ready to kill Furuhata, just as she was ready to succumb to the vision.

"Did you come here to kill me?" Furuhata laughed again. "Funny. I'm going to take your revenge away from you, Takatori."

And then Furuhata lunged forward, pressing his neck against Aya's katana. Blood splattered all over Aya's shoes as Furuhata slumped forward. Aya kicked his body away, flinging the blood off his blade furiously. He said nothing, but his gaze towards Furuhata's body was nothing but contempt.

"Pathetic," Makoto spat, shaking her head. "Absolutely pathetic."

Rei closed her eyes as the anticlimactic moment passed. How dumb of her, she thought. Now she looked so weak—unable to speak, unable to move. It was the weight of the vision, not because of Furuhata's words, although she was sure she looked like an absolute coward to Fujimiya.

"Abyssinian, why are you here?"

Of course Aya didn't answer. He looked, for a moment, to be struggling with himself—that moment was fleeting. He gave Makoto his usual cold look. "It doesn't concern you."

"The man just killed himself on your blade," Makoto said angrily, taking a step forward. Rei felt their words amplify in her mind. "It concerns me."

"What I do should no longer be in Kritiker's interests."

"What are you—"

Rei lost sight of the present. She felt her mind jerk forward as her eyes opened. The world she was seeing was not the world she was standing in; instead the images of a small explosion and a large beast flew by rapidly. And, just as suddenly as the vision took over, she was back. In front of her, Makoto took another step towards Aya.

"You can't just _quit_," Makoto was yelling. Rei didn't hesitate; she ran forward and, with all of her weight, threw herself at Aya. She saw his eyes widen, his hands reach instinctively to his katana—but the pressure she put on him was too much.

They both tumbled to the ground, far from the spot they had just been standing—right as the ceiling above them exploded and crumbled. Rei covered the back of her neck, ducking her head into Aya's chest. She was well aware of the ungraceful position they were in as she sat atop him; she was also equally aware of his own hands pressing against her back, as if trying to shield her from the debris.

"Rei!" Makoto shouted from the other side of the crumbled ceiling.

"It's Ares," Rei corrected through gritted teeth, her face still hidden. She peeked to the side to see the dust slowly settling.

And then the dust picked up, blowing around and catching in her eyes. Rei heard a roar and knew that she hadn't prevented at all what she saw in her vision—there was a beast in front of them, similar to the beasts she had seen in Masafumi's abandoned lab.

"Careful!" she called out, at which she heard Makoto choke out a reply.

"Would appreciate some help over here!"

Rei apprehensively rolled off Aya, unabashed under the circumstances. Before she could take off, though, his hand roughly caught hers.

"Takatori," he said, his voice low.

"Now isn't the ti—"

"I'll help."

"You're crazy," Rei said as Aya stood up and brandished his katana. "You don't know what you're up against."

"Neither do you, _Ares_."

Rei could have sworn that there was the barest of smirks on his face as he stepped over the fallen chunks of ceiling. She took a moment to catch a break (because she was exhausted, right, that's why she couldn't breathe) before she ran after him. At once she saw Makoto get knocked aside by the beast's long arm. Aya took that moment to swipe under it, only to also get pushed back.

"Shit, it's too strong," Makoto rasped, getting to her feet. She aimed for the beast's face and fired; the beast howled, rearing its head back as it was struck. That, however, didn't stop it; it got on all fours and started towards her. Makoto fired at it again and again, to no luck. At the last second, she threw her gun aside, took a few steps towards the beast and slid on the ground, between its legs.

At that moment, Aya leapt into the air, landing on its back. He held his katana up high, ready to stab into the beast's neck. Instead, the beast maneuvered to find Makoto and Aya missed; he plunged his katana into the beast's side, right before he fell off.

The beast let out another howl. Rei swallowed, the familiar scent of battle filling her. This was unlike any job she had done with Schuldig, or any fight she had with Schreient. There was something unnatural in front of her, and her blood was boiling.

Mars, lurking deep down, was excited.

Rei ducked her head, watching as Aya managed to slice off a hand. He was slapped aside again, but he landed more gracefully, watching the result of his work. The beast's handless arm waved around, flinging blood around the room. Makoto was trying to distract it from Aya by throwing a large chunk of ceiling at it.

The beast turned its target from Aya to Makoto. It was the perfect moment.

Rei dashed in, fueled by the thrill. She wordlessly let a snake of fire leave her fingers, right in the beast's face. It roared with agony, falling back and swiping forward; Rei ducked onto her back, avoiding the claws.

She saw, out of the corner of her eye, Makoto stop dead in her tracks, gaping. "How—how did you—"

Rei relentlessly pulled back an arrow of fire and let it fly. It hit its target, straight at the beast's forehead; the arrow absorbed into the beast's skull. It roared, dropping to the ground and writhing in agony.

Rei climbed to her feet, watching breathlessly as Aya drove his katana into the beast's heart. It whimpered before it finally grew still. There was silence as it died, in which the dust finally tumbled around their ankles in defeat.

"God damn it," Makoto said in absolute wonder as she continued to stare at Rei. "How did you do that?"

"I just—remembered," Rei mumbled. Her eyes followed Aya's every move; he pulled his katana out and wiped it against his jacket before sheathing it. Then he looked up at her, with just a hint of curiosity. "The Silver Millennium."

"That's what you meant when you said they gave you your memories." Makoto still looked absolutely stunned. "Are you the only—"

"Minako can."

At the mention of her name, Aya narrowed his eyes. He caught, at once, the guilty look on Makoto's face, as well as the oblivious expression on Rei's. So one knew and the other didn't—one a Kritiker agent, and the other not. Again his faith in the organization wavered.

"Abyssinian…" Makoto moved onto the next subject. She rubbed her forehead, frustrated. "I suppose—is there any way we can convince you to come with…?"

Aya didn't answer as he looked around the ruined room, wondering why no one had stormed in and caught them. The fire alarm, after all, had gone off. Had these girls done something to prevent interruptions? And furthermore—why was Kritiker's agent here? It wasn't a Kritiker mission, that was obvious from the Takatori girl, but why would an agent go out of their way for a mission that wasn't theirs?

"Ares! Are you okay?"

Aya glanced up from his katana to see Rei's knees buckle slightly. To her credit, however, she refused Makoto's help. "I'm fine," Rei grumbled, stumbling towards the open doorway. "We need to get out of here—I imagine Hermes is having a field day trying to prevent anyone from getting back in."

"Shoot, Hermes-chan!" Makoto swiftly glanced at Aya. "Abyssinian—"

"Thank you," Rei said. And though she didn't mean to, those two words were filled with too much emotion. Thank you for looking after Minako, thank you for killing my father when I couldn't, thank you for helping me when you had no reason to. Thank you.

Aya glanced away, hesitating only a second before he moved forward. Makoto glanced wearily at him before following. "Abyssinian, we'll have to talk about this eventually—"

"Now," Rei said. She felt, suddenly, the toll of the past week fall upon her at once. She locked eyes with Aya once again—violet clashing with violet. This time, though, she was bent on winning. Her heart pounded satisfactorily when he didn't back down. "We'll go to—the shrine. And we can talk about it now."

And Aya found himself nodding, barely.

**xxx**

Ami worriedly scanned the people present, fitting in perfectly with her pinstriped skirt and black suit jacket. There were only about twenty of them, working overtime, she assumed. She smiled feebly as a man asked what was going on.

"I'm not sure, the fire alarm just went off…"

"Are you new?" The man looked her up and down. She could just hear him thinking why he had never seen her around.

"Yes, and I was hoping to finish the sales report from Friday." Ami sighed, hand at her chest. "I do hope we'll be able to get back in eventually…"

The man shook his head. "Hate to break it to you, but we won't be able to access the building until tomorrow, at the earliest. This has happened before, you know, just last week. Someone just probably lit a cigarette up inside, but Furuhata had the fire department search every nook and cranny for anything suspicious."

"Oh no," Ami said, looking at her feet. She really was a bad actor, she thought. Of course she already knew Furuhata's fire policy. In coming up with the night's plan, she had searched through the company's emergency history within the past few months. It was simple to figure out a way to get everyone out of the building as well as keep them out. "I suppose I should head out, then…"

"Are you taking the train?" The man suddenly looked at her. Ami blinked back owlishly.

"Yes, I am."

"Would you like me to give you a lift?"

"Oh no, I'm sure it's out of your way—"

"Come on," the man said. "I can't let a pretty coworker go home alone at this hour!"

Ami didn't even need to fake the blush. She cleared her throat, mumbling incoherently and mentally cursing this man for his forwardness. It didn't help, either, that he was appealingly foreign, with his blonde hair and almost-blue eyes—a drop dead piece of hunk, Minako probably would have called him. At his confused smile, she forced herself to speak more clearly. "I'll be fine, thank you very much, but I do live far from here."

"At least let me drop you off at the station."

The crowd was starting to disperse. Ami scanned the crowd again, wondering if anyone was suspicious of her. Right before she had signaled the fire alarm, she had spent great care in hiding the bodies of the security guards. They would no doubt they would be discovered within minutes of the fire department's arrival, but there would be no evidence that she, Rei or Makoto had been there.

Except for this man. Ami bit her lip, trying to pretend that she was worried about inconveniencing him. In actuality, she was more concerned with the plausible idea that this man knew exactly why she was there. Paranoia? Maybe. But she learned from experience it was better to err on the side of caution...

"Please?" The man egged on, smiling harmlessly. Ami forced herself to look apologetic.

"I don't want to be a bother…"

"And I don't want to be rude." He nodded his head over to the parking lot. "Come on, let's go."

Ami quietly followed him, inwardly grimacing at the slightest chance that they might stumble upon a dead security guard. The man was making small talk, at which she responded with, "Mmm," or, "Is that so?"

Her mind was racing. There had to be a way to diffuse the situation. If he were an innocent bystander, then it would mean nothing; no one would believe him if he asked about the new employee, especially when she didn't exist in any security footage. But if he were a threat—

"So what's your name?"

"Ah," Ami said as he opened the car door for her. "Miyamoto Reina..."

The man closed the door and climbed in on the driver side. As he started the car, he gave her another charming smile. "Nice to meet you. You can call me Chloe."

There were several things wrong with the situation to Ami. First, he behaved so _American_ with his mannerisms. His accent, however, was more European, which would explain the hair and the eyes. Second, he had not given her a full name. That unnerved her, more than the way his eyes seemed to see right through her.

For such a short distance, the car ride was suffocating and long. Ami answered his questions as best as she could without trying to sound like she suspected him of wanting to stab her the second they were out of public eye. When they arrived at the train station, Ami's hand immediately went to the door handle. She tumbled out of the car and bowed. "Thank you very much again, I apologize for inconveniencing you like this—"

"Don't worry about it." Chloe looked at her for a moment before his smile returned. He fished into his jacket before pulling out a small card. "I would say, give me a call later, but I'm actually going back to Great Britain in two days."

"Great Britain?" Ami's surprise was genuine. He laughed at her widened eyes.

"I forgot, you're new. I'm only here as a consultant. It's been about two months already, and now it's my time to go home." He presented the card to her with both hands, bowing. "Please accept my card."

Ami blinked, startled. What was with his manners earlier, then? "Thank you."

"Such a shame that I only met you now," Chloe said with a wink. Ami blinked again, sure she was blushing but unsure of what to say. "Well, get along now. I don't want you to miss your train."

"Thank you again," Ami said, bowing one last time. She turned, hesitating only a moment before starting off. An unnatural feeling filled her as she boarded the train and took her seat. After looking at the messages from Makoto and Rei on her phone (all urging her to come to the Hikawa shrine instead of their planned meet up spot), she took a look at the card he had given her.

It did not have the name 'Chloe' anywhere on it. Mihirogi Nana was instead listed, along with the title of 'Lord Richard Krypton's Assistant.' Underneath that were contact numbers and address to an office in Europe.

Ami tucked the business card away, frowning. The name Mihirogi seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where from and why. She spent the rest of the train ride racking her brain, and when she finally stepped out of the train station, she had almost completely forgotten about Furuhata. It wasn't until her phone rang did she realize where she was going.

"Ami, where are you?" Makoto's urgent voice asked. Ami blinked.

"I'm—on my way," Ami said haltingly, staring at the building she was in front of. "I'm sorry, I must have gotten caught up in my thoughts."

"Your thoughts?" Makoto sounded confused. "Okay, well, we're here. How long will you be?"

"Um," Ami said, quickly calculating the time it would take to get to nearest bus stop, as well as board the bus to the Hikawa shrine. "Maybe a half hour."

"A half hour?" Makoto sighed. "Fine. Do you want us to wait to eat?"

"No, go ahead."

The two exchanged goodbyes. Ami put away her phone, giving the house she was standing in front of a long glance. She had no idea why her feet took her there; the last time she had been in that house was last Christmas. Back then it had been lit up with festive decorations; now it was dark and empty, as if no one had lived there for quite awhile. Which was true, she thought as she made her way to the bus stop.

Setsuna had been out of the country for about a year now, Haruka and Michiru were still missing, and ever since Takatori Reiji died, Hotaru was nowhere to be found.

* * *

**an**

i am determined to finish this ;; slowly but surely! lol it must be the news of the return of sailor moon... or it could be my refound love for weiss side b haha (look everyone it's chloe!). whatever it is, let's hope it doesn't suddenly fade away ;-;

a very big thank you thank you thank you for still reading. i appreciate it so much! thank you thank you, much love to you all!

xo


	18. 17: lapin

**chapter seventeen: lapin**

Ami found it quite hard to believe that Fujimiya Aya was sitting across from her, sipping at his tea politely as Makoto made small talk about the weather. He wasn't paying attention to anything she was saying, but Makoto kept talking. It was nerves, Ami supposed. Makoto was a talker when she was nervous.

"Yes, it is quite chilly," Ami said, hoping to calm her down a bit. Makoto indeed took a deep breath, letting a moment of silence hang in the air. Ami moved her bangs out of her eyes. "Is there something we can help you with, Fujimiya?"

Aya put down cup, choosing to stare at the table instead of answering. Makoto looked absolutely anxious as she watched him. Then she cleared her throat. "I still don't know why you agreed to come, but you're welcome to stay—I mean, if that's okay with you, Rei, I didn't mean to offer without asking you first—"

Beside her, Rei looked like she was struggling to keep her eyes open. She nodded her head at the question, snapping awake. "Yes, of course."

Another moment of silence ensued. Makoto continued to fidget. It was unlike her to be so on edge, but something about Aya got under her skin. Maybe it was the cold look in his eyes—the look that seemed like he had lost everything.

"Thank you."

Ami's eyes shot to Aya at his low voice. That was very, very unlike him. She hadn't really spoken to him before, but she had read his case files. Kritiker had no idea she had done so; Ami, however, did not feel safe with Minako as a temporary function of Weiss until she had learned all about them. Hidaka Ken's case files implied he was reckless, Kudou Youji's said he was nonchalant and Tsukiyono Omi, of course, was proclaimed a prodigy.

Fujimiya Aya's case files, however, practically said Doesn't Play Well With Others.

"So, mission went well," Makoto suddenly said, not knowing how to reply to the gratitude. She was playing with her own cup of tea, looking directly at Ami. "Except for, you know, Furuhata killed himself."

Ami started, alarmed. "He killed himself?"

"On Fujimiya's blade," Makoto said, glancing at Aya. He calmly took another sip of tea, unbothered by what she was saying. "Then some huge thing crashed down from the ceiling and tried to kill us all."

"Some huge thing?" Ami's eyebrows drew together. "Elaborate, please?"

"It was—big. And hairy. And I've never seen anything like it."

Ami bit her lip, sitting back. She had been planning on doing an energy scan with her Mercury computer, but when she had arrived and found out Aya was somehow with them, the plan fell through. Big and hairy and unusual? Sounded like a youma, but if Makoto said they had never seen anything like it, then it most likely wasn't. "He was involved with experiments on mutation…"

"You think it was something human?"

"I hope not." Ami reached for her cup of tea. She snuck a glance at Rei, whose eyelids were starting to close again. "Fujimiya, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here and what were you doing at Furuhata's company?"

Makoto let out an inward sigh of relief, grateful that someone other than she had been the one to ask. She waited eagerly as Aya looked at Ami with consideration. After a moment, it seemed like he wasn't going to answer. Of course he wasn't. He was Fujimiya Aya.

"Furuhata was the one that kidnapped Usagi."

Everyone turned to Rei. Ami was surprised for the umpteenth time that night; this time it was because of the alert look in Rei's eyes.

"He was after my brother's data, so he blackmailed me," Rei continued, looking at the table. Her words came out short, clipped.

Aya frowned, looking like he disagreed. "You were exacting revenge on your own judgment."

"That's not it at all!" Makoto burst out, offended at Aya's words. "He was a threat to—our friend. He almost blew Rei up at a café, we had no idea what he would do if he were still alive!"

Rei swallowed, barely remembering the heat against her skin as the bomb exploded. Kaidou's words lingered at the front of her mind. _You are a butterfly, and your wings can either save lives or destroy them_. Which, she thought in her exhausted state, were words of flourish and nothing more. "I don't care why you were there."

It was Aya's turn to stare. Ami could follow his train of thought exactly. Too many people had pestered him about his reason to join Weiss, and here was Rei, indifferent. This made her think that maybe his appearance at Furuhata's company had something to do with those reasons...

"I see," Ami said. The corners of her lips pulled upward at Aya, but she knew her eyes betrayed her thoughts. _I know why you were there_, they said. That was what probably pushed him to put his cup down once again and stand up.

"Guest room's on the right," Rei said, looking up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. "Don't feel obligated to thank me."

Aya made his way to the edge of the room. His footsteps halted as he barely glanced back at them. "Thank you," he repeated. After he left, those words lingered.

"Did I hallucinate?" Makoto asked after a moment.

"I think I'm hallucinating right now," Rei said. "When's the last time I slept?"

"I wonder the same thing." Ami smiled almost playfully. "You look a little worn out, Rei."

"I'm beyond worn out."

"You should get some rest."

Rei yawned openly, leaning against Makoto. "Sure," she said. "Someone should let Minako what's going on, by the way."

If she noticed that Makoto suddenly tensed, she didn't show it. She closed her eyes as Makoto gave Ami a significant frown. "We need to tell her," she mouthed. Ami sighed.

"Rei."

"What?" Rei asked, snapping an eye open as she realized the tone of voice. She had heard it before, whenever Ami had figured something out that no one else could. "What is it?"

"Minako's in the hospital."

The two of them knew better than to get on the bad side of Rei's temper. Although it had calmed down over the years, there were still instances where it came out mercilessly. Ami had only been the target once, in their second year of high school, when she had forgotten to let everyone know that she was going to a swim meet instead of a study session. Ami had never thought anyone would have to yell at her for being careless; nonetheless, Rei executed the job perfectly, even managing to guilt trip her.

Knowing this, the two of them hoped with all hopes that the glare she fixed on them was not a product of her temper.

"What?" Rei said, sitting up. She looked from Makoto to Ami dubiously. "What do you mean?"

"She's well on her way to recovery," Ami continued to explain, watching as Rei narrowed her eyes. First sign of temper tantrum, check. "She's actually expected to leave tomorrow."

"No," Rei said slowly, "back up. Why did you fail to mention this earlier?"

"Would we have been able to manage tracking down Furuhata if I had said something?"

Where Rei was fire, Ami was ice. The two met gazes, instantly clashing; Makoto watched with a grimace. "Rei..."

"I can't believe you two," she said, turning to Makoto. Accusation—second sign of temper tantrum, check. "After everything we've been through—it's like we're not even—like we can't trust each other."

"Can we?" Ami suddenly said, throwing the option into the air. She saw the way Makoto sat up, the way Rei clutched at her robes. "We've been so—these lives we're living, they're not _us_. They're not—"

She broke off, overwhelmed with her outburst, only for Rei to pick up. "They're not the lives of sailor senshi."

An uneasy silence filled the room as Rei reluctantly backed down from the fight. Ami was right, she thought. Ami was always right. They weren't teenage girls anymore, because teenage girls didn't go around killing people. Again, the memory of her words from earlier echoed through her mind. What were they doing with their lives?

"We're so messed up," Makoto moaned, slumping over the table. She buried her fingers in her bangs, casting Rei and Ami exasperated glances. "Former heroes of justice now working for underground assassins. It sounds like a television show."

Rei bowed her head, letting out a sigh. Trust Makoto to easily diffuse what could have been a disastrous situation. "Really, I just don't have the energy to get mad at you guys."

"I'm sorry, Rei," Ami said, her voice trembling. It was a change from the cool and confident tone she used earlier—a sign that she, too, had her limits. "I had thought you knew, but when it was evident that you didn't..."

"It's not your fault," Rei said quietly. Her gaze shifted over to the door that Aya had left through. He had known, hadn't he?

"We'll visit her tomorrow," Makoto suggested. "We'll bring Usagi, too."

The thought of Usagi sent a sudden flare of guilt through everyone. She was the only one innocent from all this mess, it seemed. And they had to explain it to her somehow...

"Your buddies will make sure she's okay, right?" Makoto added hesitantly. She had disagreed completely with letting Schwarz take care of Usagi, as she knew what exactly they were capable of. Ami also watched Rei carefully as she answered.

"If they don't, I'll kill them," she said. Then she blinked, looking a bit abashed. "I meant that figuratively, not literally."

"We are so messed up," Makoto repeated, shaking her head. She stacked the empty teacups, taking care not to spill any drops. "At least Ami and I are getting paid for this."

"I have benefits too, you know," Rei argued, watching as Makoto cleaned the table. Ami raised her eyebrows.

"I can't imagine working with Schwarz would have benefits."

Rei frowned, trying to think. Her first thought was protection, but she knew better. Schuldig would enjoy letting her suffer than try to protect her. Her second thought was that they had opened up her mind, but, not for the first time, she wondered if it was really worth it.

Well, she concluded, at least they were good-looking—especially—

And then she froze, her mouth falling open.

"What? What is it? Rei?" Makoto hovered in front of her, waving her hands in front of her face. "Are you alright?"

Rei slapped her hands to her cheeks, wondering how the hell Minako was having such an effect on her when she wasn't even in the vicinity. She shook her head, babble coming out of her mouth. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm absolutely fine."

Because she just did not almost admit to herself that Schwarz was good-looking, or that she had a stupid, stupid undeniably stupid schoolgirl crush on equally as stupid Crawford.

Rei groaned as _that_ thought filtered through her mind. Makoto sat back, exchanging a worried glance with Ami. "Rei?"

"I need to sleep," Rei said vehemently, getting to her feet. "I'm thinking stupid things, I need to sleep."

Makoto and Ami both stared as she slammed the screen door shut behind her. Then they wordlessly turned back to cleaning the table up, shrugging. Just another one of her milder temper tantrums.

**xxx**

Usagi took the news considerably well, considering she had been kidnapped, rescued and placed in the care of four very frightening men in the span of a couple days. She ran her tongue over her teeth as Rei, Makoto and Ami all bowed their heads.

"Jeez," she said, rubbing the back of her head, "I don't know what to say..."

"Usagi," Ami said, biting her lip. She lifted her head to meet startled blue eyes. "You can be angry, if you want."

"Why would I be mad?"

"We put you in danger," Rei said, stepping forward. She ignored Mamoru, who frowned disapprovingly at her tone of voice. "You were _kidnapped_ because of me! How can you sit there—you don't understand anything, do you? We _killed_ people."

Usagi's looked crestfallen at her words. "First, I was kidnapped because someone grabbed me and threw me into a car, not because of you. Second—what do you want me to say? That I'm disappointed? That I expect better from you?"

"Yes!" Rei burst out, throwing her hands up. "Say exactly that, because—"

"When did you guys get so—so—"

Usagi broke off angrily, tearing her gaze away from Rei and staring at the floor. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, shaking her head when Makoto tried to speak up.

"What can I say?" Usagi continued, her shoulders slumping. The tears freely poured. "What can I honestly say? You guys mean more to me than anything and I—it hurts to see you like this. I've always looked up to you guys because you were so strong but now it's..."

"We know," Makoto said softly. "Usagi, we know. We're letting people walk all over us. It's not who we are. We've fallen so far, but it's—there wasn't anything else to do."

Ami ran a hand through her hair before she let her bangs fall back into her eyes. "I've tried to reason with myself the past few months," she admitted. "But there's nothing I could come up with. I work for an organization that kills people. I set up mission plans for people to be killed. And I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize to me!" Usagi suddenly cried out, turning to Ami. "I'm not—if you're really sorry, apologize to yourself! This has nothing to do with me!"

"Usagi—"

"If you guys are only feeling bad because you think I disapprove, then screw it," she said, jolting all of them out of their comfort zone. She clenched her fists, glaring at each of them. "Keep doing what you do. I'm not your conscience! Stop doing things because of me, for me, whatever! Just—"

Usagi fell quiet, burying her face in her hands. Mamoru pulled her into his arms, shushing her. He reluctantly met Makoto's emerald gaze first—then Ami's troubled blue eyes, then Rei's burdened stare.

"Just please," Usagi's muffled voice rang out, "do it for yourself."

They didn't know what to do. Makoto's eyes watered first as she watched Usagi cry into Mamoru's chest. She opened her mouth and closed it before she turned on her heel, unable to watch anymore. She wiped her own eyes, shaking her head.

Ami abruptly shoved past her, leaving the room. It was after a moment before Rei spoke. "Usagi," she said quietly, "that's not it at all."

There were unspoken words between the three senshi left in the room. _If it weren't for you, Usagi, then we would have been lost long ago_.

Makoto heaved a sigh, turning back around. "I couldn't not work for them," she said, her throat dry, even as her face was wet with tears. "They're helping me find the people who staged my parents' death."

Usagi's cries had subsided into hiccups, but she didn't turn to face them.

"And I don't have anything else to live for except you guys," Rei said as if it were the plain truth. "If it means I have to protect you, Usagi, then I'm going to do it whether you like it or not."

"I don't _want_ you to protect me!" Usagi burst, whirling around. "You guys have protected me for years now, you need to _stop_!"

"You're kidding, right? I'm the senshi of protection." Makoto held her arms out, seeing Usagi's lip wobble again. Usagi immediately flew to her, throwing her arms around the taller woman's body. "We're sorry—not for everything that happened, but for lying to you."

Rei swallowed, feeling her own emotions welling up. After sleeping for nearly a whole day, she felt groggy and temperamental, but her strength had been restored. She and Ami had tried to avoid this confrontation, especially since Minako wasn't present, but Makoto had insisted that they tell her the truth.

They had left Aya at the shrine, Rei thought as Ami re-entered the room. Ami wordlessly threw herself into the hug, sobbing into Usagi's shoulder. Rei felt her own tears gather in her eyes and she tried to hold it in. One look at Makoto's raised eyebrows, however, and she broke down, clutching Ami's hand and burying her face into Makoto's arm.

After a moment, Rei pulled back, wiping her eyes. She didn't even try to pretend that she was embarrassed like she normally would have; it was the feeling that everything could be alright again, that her life was more than just lies, that Usagi and Ami and Makoto and Minako, even if she wasn't there, were holding her together. She and Makoto shared a brief glance for a moment before she launched forward.

"Alright, odango atama, we won't protect you anymore," she said, unable to stop smiling as Usagi tearfully stared at her. "That means when Shingo steals your candy stash—"

Usagi let out a horrified gasp, bringing her hands to her mouth. She whipped around to stare imploringly at Ami. "But—but Ami he's so in love with you! You're the only one he listens to! You're the only one who can stop him from bullying me!"

Ami wiped her eyes, laughing. Makoto, for a moment, thought this was the most hassle-free she had seen her in awhile. "I'll talk to him about your candy stash, Usagi."

"Ah ah ah," Makoto chided, wagging her finger. "We can't protect her anymore, she said."

"Mako-chan!" Usagi whined, only to have her head patted by Rei.

"Get dressed, we're going to visit Minako."

Usagi pouted as she stalked to the closet to change out of her pajamas. "Fine, I'll just have Mamo-chan deal with him."

Ami, Makoto and Rei all raised their eyebrows at Mamoru, knowing fully well that he spoiled Shingo to try to get on his good side. Mamoru avoided their gaze, instead turning to scold Usagi for throwing her clothes everywhere. "We just cleaned up!"

"We'll clean up again," Usagi said, waving her hand. "Oh, Rei, by the way, your, um, bodyguards..."

Rei frowned, already imagining what could have gone wrong. "What'd they do to you? Tell me and I'll—"

"Do?" Usagi had pulled a pink sweater over her head. She blinked at Rei before giving her signature goofy grin. "They were really nice, you know, I just wanted to say thanks for having them get us out. No offense or anything, but your brother's creepy."

Her brother. Right. Rei's frown deepened at the thought of Schwarz being 'really nice.' "What did you talk to Masafumi about?"

"Oh, pfft!" Usagi discarded her pajama bottoms and tugged on a pair of leggings. "Just told him to stop being so mean to you! I swear, it's so obvious, we all saw that press conference, he's so jealous of how pretty you are!"

Rei scratched her head, her apprehension fading away. "Usagi you idiot, he's not jealous—"

"Anyway, he said he'd be a better brother." With that, Usagi smiled brightly, even if Rei didn't believe any of it. Ami raised her hand shyly. "What is it, Ami?"

"Well," Ami said, twiddling her fingers and blushing. "Are you aware you just changed in front of Mamoru?"

At this, Makoto stifled a laugh. She nudged Ami, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Ami, I'm sure he's seen a lot more—"

Ami's face burned even brighter as Usagi tried not to look too embarrassed.

They arrived at the Magic Bus hospital an hour later. The nurse looked surprised to see so many visitors for Minako, but she gave them all visiting passes and directed them to the room. Usagi couldn't help but loop her arm through Mamoru's and Makoto's, tugging them along. "I haven't seen Minako in so long," she said, her voice carrying down the hall. "I'm gonna make her cry, too, just you watch!"

Rei and Ami trailed behind, watching the other two try to slow Usagi down. It was Ami who spoke first. "If it were anyone else, we'd be condemned."

"It's Usagi," Rei said heavily, feeling the cloud of elation slowly fading away. "She doesn't like it at all, but she can't force herself to make us stop."

"No," Ami agreed. She sighed, placing a hand on Rei's shoulder and looking her in the eyes. "After this, I'll take a look at those files. I peeked at them earlier; they're in German."

"You can read them?"

"Fairly," Ami said. A worried look crossed her eyes. "You said Crawford and Schuldig directed you to them."

"Mm," Rei confirmed. She searched Ami's blue eyes, wondering what the cause of the concern was. "What are you thinking?"

"You said you knew they were using you," Ami said slowly. She glanced away, shaking her head. "Until I actually look into the files, I can't be sure. But there's an organization... It's all speculation, you understand, but there's something called _esset_. A world-wide crime organization."

Rei ran the word through her mind, trying to see if anything triggered her memory. Nothing.

"They have a—lab, if you will, where they train the gifted."

Gifted. Rei's gaze sharpened onto her. "Gifted as in what I can do."

"I'll look into it more," Ami repeated quietly. "But until then, I'm staying with you at the shrine. I've already quit my volunteering services at this hospital. Any other service Kritiker needs from me can be done through secure networks."

"Ami—"

"I'm not taking no," Ami said. "I know you're stubborn and you'll say you can take care of yourself. But this is dangerous, and I—I owe it to you, Rei, for leaving you alone when you needed us."

If it were anyone else—if it were Makoto, or Minako, or even Usagi—Rei would not have backed down. But Ami was Ami—strong in her own way, a pillar to lean on. She was not strength like Makoto, or fresh air like Minako, or comfort like Usagi. She was Ami—reliable, calming.

"Fine," Rei said, and the two of them proceeded to follow after the trio that had left them behind. When they entered Minako's room, they found the two blondes clutching at each other, tearfully jumping up and down.

"You missed it," Makoto said with a grin. "Minako totally shoved Mamoru out of the way."

"For someone who's supposed to be injured," Mamoru said with a scowl, rubbing his arm, "her punches hurt."

**xxx**

"Schreient," Youji said, not even bothering to greet Ken and Omi as the bell above the door announced his arrival. The two of them exchanged confused glances.

"What," Ken said eloquently, scratching at his cheek. A line of dirt remained smudged.

"Takatori Masafumi's bodyguards," Youji said with a shrug. He picked up his apron from the hanger and pulled it over his head, quickly tying the strings around his waist. "They call themselves Schreient."

"Youji-kun," Omi said, brow furrowed. "You've been gone for two days."

Youji grinned, turning a sly gaze on him. "Yeah, and it's been a good two days. You won't believe the women they have on the East coast," he said, leaning an arm against the table. He added a wink. "I'll take you sometime, Omittchi, once you're old enough."

"Man," Ken said, rolling his eyes. His worried expression was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "We thought you were in trouble or something! And here comes the truth, you've just been playing around—"

"I have gifts and I use them well," Youji said innocently. Omi sighed, shaking his head and turning back to his arrangement.

"You could have called," the younger boy chided as he added a few daisies to his bunch. "A lot's happened in the past two days."

"Oh?" Youji yawned, stretching his arms up. "Enlighten me."

"Aya still hasn't come back," Ken said. He turned back to the pot he was trying to move. "Aya-chan's still missing."

"That's not all," Omi added, an anxious look crossing his face. "Minako was discharged from the hospital, but she hasn't come back either."

"Eh?" Youji outwardly blinked at the thought of Minako, but on the inside he frowned. There was a burning sort of feeling in the pit of his stomach, churning as he slowly turned away from the two. He let his grin drop, only momentarily.

The past two days had been anything but play. Youji had run off; he had taken Kyouko by the arm, proposed that they get away, and she had followed. And once they were alone in a cottage by the sea, with wine in their hands and the hint of happiness on their lips, Kyouko had tried to kill him. She had taken his own wire and tried to choke him, while he, still hung up over the idea that Asuka was possibly alive and in his arms again, almost let her kill him.

"You're the only thing that stands in Masafumi's way," she had said, her voice hot on his ear as she pulled the wire tighter. "Schreient will make sure you stay away."

And then he remembered—Asuka was dead, and this girl was Neu, and he managed to flip her over his shoulder before he escaped. And here he was, back where he started, with no Asuka and no relief from his memories. The guilt was flooding him, and he only hoped that Ken and Omi couldn't tell.

"She's a big girl," he said eventually. He let his hand rest on Omi's head before he yawned again. "You should look into these Schreient ladies. They might be trouble later on."

Omi looked terribly confused, but he bobbed his head up and down anyway. "Sure, I'll try. I don't understand—"

"Listen, Omittchi, you're a Takatori. These ladies work for another Takatori. Who knows? Maybe they'll be after you."

"If that's the case..." Omi trailed off, wondering if he should bring up Rei again. He had been trying to contact her, but something always stopped him in the end. He was afraid, he eventually realized—afraid that she would reject him because of the life he lived.

And then Omi realized that Youji's gaze looked troubled. "Are you okay?"

The look was gone in an instant. Youji snorted, and suddenly he was languid again. "It's way too early to be _okay_, you should know that."

"Lazy bum," Ken scolded, having finally moved the tremendously heavy pot to the other side of the shop. "Give me a hand and hang these up, will you?"

He gestured to an array of hanging pots of camellias. Youji stared at them for a good two minutes before he stuck his hands in his pockets. "What, not man enough, Ken?"

"Youji, seriously," Ken grumbled, fixing him an flat stare.

"That doesn't answer the question." Youji smirked, leaning forward to look his teammate in the eye. "When's the last time you had some, huh?"

"Youji-kun!" Omi said warningly as Ken punched him on the arm.

"I'm just asking!" Youji rubbed his arm before sauntering over to the table and sitting down. "Man, I'm back for five minutes and I'm already tired."

"Maybe you should just go back," Ken continued to grumble, glowering at the older man. He cracked his knuckles before stooping back down to pick up a few hanging pots. Omi sighed, although he couldn't help but smile. It had been calm but otherwise lonely with just him and Ken in the shop. It was too quiet without Youji, too empty without Aya.

He glanced out the window of the shop, wondering if Aya was going to come back. Then his eyes caught sight of Minako, who waved at him frantically before she bounded through the door.

"Hey guys!" she cried out overenthusiastically. Minako had always been a bright ray of slightly insane sunshine, but Omi couldn't remember if she had ever looked as excited as she did then. She set down the multiple bags of fast food on the counter, rushing over to Ken. "Here, let me help you with that!"

"What," Ken repeated, watching as Minako lifted up five baskets at once. She gave Youji a deliberately cheesy wink, one he tried to smile through his guilt at.

"M—minako," Omi gaped, "you just got discharged! You should be resting!"

"Pfft!" Minako stood on her tiptoes, hanging each basket up effortlessly. "Lucky for me, I'm superhuman. So! What'd I miss?"

She whirled back to face the three of them, an expectant smile on her face. Youji stared at the table top, Ken wondered if she was really sparkling, and Omi sighed for the hundredth time that day.

"I'm glad you're better," he said. Then he launched into everything—what happened after they left her in the alleyway. Takatori Reiji's fall, Rei's involvement, Aya-chan's disappearance, all of it. When he finished, he found that he had made four arrangements while speaking. Ken had hung up the rest of the potted plants, and Youji was actually sweeping the floor.

"You know," Minako said slowly, "I don't know why I never made the connection between you and Rei."

Omi's breath caught. A part of him hoped that _she_ would mention it to Rei. That way, if Rei didn't want anything to do with him, he wouldn't have to see the rejection with his own eyes.

"Are you going to tell her?"

Youji glanced over, seeing Omi tense up. He made his way over, taking the completed arrangements. "Of course he's going to tell her," he said. "He's not an idiot."

"It must be hard, though," Ken mumbled without thinking. "What if she doesn't—"

Youji hit Ken square in the face with an arrangement. Ken sputtered, spitting out petals as he tried to punch Youji again.

"Um," Omi said, putting on a smile. He shrugged. "I wonder if maybe she's already got a lot to deal with..."

He was completely and utterly surprised when Minako threw her arms around him. He froze, unsure of what to do or react, because Omi couldn't remember the last time he'd ever been hugged. He slowly hugged her back while giving both Youji and Ken bewildered looks. The two of them just blinked at him.

"She's mean, but she's not evil," Minako said, letting him go. Her arms rested around his shoulders for a moment before she frowned. "You look stressed, kid."

"It's been a tiring two days," Omi admitted, not even trying to fight the blush. It was the combined effects of her support and the fact that—well, he had always known that Minako was pretty, he had just never—_noticed_. And now she was so close, and her arms had been so warm, and the embarrassment faded away as he wondered...

He wondered if this was what hugging a sister felt like. His thoughts drifted suddenly to Rei again, but before he could fall into a slump, Minako patted his head. "You're a good kid, Omi. Don't worry about it."

"Why's he getting all the love, hmm?" Youji asked, placing the arrangements in the cooler.

"Unlike some people, Omi's a good guy," Ken sniped. Youji turned an evil look onto him.

"That, and he's super cute!" Minako squealed, pinching Omi's cheek. She laughed when he swatted her hand away. She grabbed her apron and pulled it over her head, watching for a moment as Ken and Youji bickered. "I'm glad I'm alive."

Omi smiled softly at her, nodding. "It's a good feeling."

The four of them worked comfortably, trying not to stay quiet for too long. The gap that was Aya was too obvious; more than once, Omi wondered if he was ever going to come back. The day quickly flew by, turning into a late evening where they picked at left-overs of the fast food that Minako had brought.

Omi locked up the doors, and that was when Minako spoke.

"Hey, so, I'm quitting," she said quietly, a small smile on her face. "I already turned my papers in to Kritiker."

"What?" Youji stared at her; even though he had been against having her temporarily join the team, he couldn't imagine her suddenly dropping the life of a killer and going back to being a regular citizen. There was blood on her hands, blood that he helped put into her life.

"Minako-san," Omi started to say, but she waved his concern away.

"You can't just _quit_." Ken had stood up from his chair, shaking his head. "Aya's gone, we can't lose you too!"

Minako looked momentarily surprised before she smiled again. "You're not losing me," she said. She looked away, untying her apron and pulling it over her head. "I just have duties elsewhere."

"Duties?" It was unlike Ken to be so angry at her, but the thought that whatever duty she had trumped them was too much. "What duties? We've been through a lot already, you can't just—"

"I have a princess to protect," Minako interrupted. If it weren't for her hardened gaze, they would have thought it was another one of her jokes. "I almost died getting caught up in affairs that should have nothing to do with me. That would have been an injustice to her, and it sucks that I had to be stabbed a million times to realize it, but I can't keep doing this."

"Minako," Omi said slowly, "who attacked you?"

Her jaw clenched. She turned away, hanging her apron up. "That's not important."

"Who attacked you?" Youji repeated his question, standing up. "That has something to do with this, doesn't it?"

"I told you," Minako said, whirling back around. "That's not important—"

"Bullshit," Youji cut in, actually feeling angry. "Whoever attacked you means something, and you're going to take care of it yourself, aren't you?"

Minako met his gaze evenly, saying nothing. Ken gritted his teeth, looking away. Youji, equally upset, leaned back in his seat and surveyed her. This was a Minako he had never seen before—and he had seen many sides of her. There was her sunny side that greeted customers and broke flower pots. There was her cunning side that tried to get Aya to go on dates with her. There was the side of her that came out at night, the hardened, bitter side that killed alongside him. There was also her vulnerable side, the one that desperately tried to kiss away his memories.

This side of Minako, however, was none of the above—this Minako, he thought, was stronger than any of them combined, and completely out of reach.

"We can help," Ken said eventually.

"You can't."

"Yes we can—"

"You can be mad at me now," Minako burst out, throwing her arms up in the air. "But this is something I have to do myself—"

Omi jolted her front her words as he leapt out of his chair and pulled her into a hug. She stared for a moment at Ken and Youji, who looked just as startled. "Minako-san," he said, "let us help you."

"Omi—"

"You're one of us." Omi pulled away, his blue eyes meeting hers. "Let us help you."

"I already quit," Minako argued weakly, trying not to lose her resolve. Omi just shrugged.

"Never stopped us before," he said. The three young men suddenly jumped as Minako burst into tears, spinning on her heel and rubbing her eyes with her arm. "Minako—"

"Why are you guys so stubborn?" she managed to get out. Omi looked helpless, giving Ken and Youji significant glances to come and help. Ken just pulled at his collar uneasily; tears and women were never good for him, and combined they made him incredibly uncomfortable.

Youji sighed, crossing the room. He put one arm around Minako, pulling her to him; to his surprise, she shoved him away.

"Don't take advantage of my tears!" she accused, pointing at him in her tear-faced glory.

"I was just—"

"Ugh!" Minako wiped her eyes again, flopping down in a chair. She buried her face in her hands, trying to stifle her sobs. Youji, leaning against the counter, hesitantly reached out and touched her shoulder; when she didn't snap, he allowed himself to rub her back soothingly.

"Minako-san," Omi said, crouching to her eye-level. Ken lingered nearby, a cup of water in his hand. She lifted her head, looking like an utter mess. "We can't abandon you."

"God," Minako groaned, "you guys are straight out of a manga, I swear."

She took the cup from Ken, wiping her eyes again. The three of them watched as she drank it all in one go; then she took a shuddering breath. "It was Farfarello."

A chill ran down their spines. Omi, however, realized the implication. "You don't want Rei to know."

"She _can't _know," Minako emphasized. She saw the disapproving look in Ken's eyes and shook her head. "You don't understand—she won't ever forgive them—"

"Why should she? They're—you know what they are!"

"She likes them," Minako said. "I have no idea why, but she likes them and she doesn't like a lot of people, and—"

"You can't let her keep hanging around them," Youji said, scowling at the memory of Farfarello. Thought Schwarz's appearances had been sporadic, there was no denying that they had it in for Weiss. "She'll get over it. There are billions of people in the world, she can't find other people to like."

"It's not my choice," Minako said, looking miserable. "We all have our people, and they're—her people. I can't take that away from her."

"So what do you plan on doing?" Omi asked gently. She met his gaze and shook her head.

"I have to find out why they attacked me."

"You're going to _confront_ them?" Ken looked appalled. "Alone? Minako, we're coming with you, whether you like it or not!"

It was Youji's hand on her shoulder that made her bite down a retort. Instead she nodded, looking into the bottom of her empty cup.

"Thanks," Minako said.

The three young men exchanged glances again, wondering what on earth they had just gotten themselves into.

* * *

**notes** idk what happened with this chapter. why is everyone crying! i might dislike it. i hope you guys don't though ;( thanks for reading!

xo


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